Eve
by EternalSorrow
Summary: Currently being revised. A girl's life changes after she meets an angel. KxOC
1. Angel

A/N: Don't own Trigun and can't draw so glad I don't. Disclaimer is for all chapters.

**Eve**

Angel

Across an endless desert two blazing suns flew overhead, their heat scorching the head of a young girl stumbling along the vast sand. She looked no older than sixteen and was clearly lost as her head shifted side to side in a controlled but almost frantic motion. Unsure of where she was or where she was going, however, she diligently kept walking.

All she knew was that she needed to get as far away as possible before they found that she was gone.

It had been almost two days since she had escaped the slavers, along with three others. They had all separated in different directions to throw off the trackers, and possibly buy some time for each other in case the men had decided to follow them out into the wastelands of the desert.

If only her grandma hadn't died, then none of this would have ever happened. All their possessions wouldn't have had to have been sold to pay for the funeral and she would never have been taken as payment for the doctor's bills. A small sparkle of water fell from one of her eyes and she half-heartedly wiped off the offending tear, stubbornly shaking her head. Now was certainly not the time to think of such things, though she did wish she had some company.

The suns continued to glare down on her, offering no comfort to the weary traveler. She sighed deeply through her cracked lips as her feet shuffled along, more wearily than the few miles back. there just seemed to be no end to this hell she had gotten herself into.

Suddenly, her foot caught on something jutting from the ground, causing her to fall headfirst into the sand with a soft thud.

Sputtering the coarse ground out of her mouth, she flipped around and looked to see what had caused her to fall. There, not more than an inch showing above the sand, was a piece of silver, partially rusted metal, reflecting the light of the suns. She slowly stood up and looked over the buried object. Bending down and sinking her hands into the sand, she realized that she couldn't find a bottom and the object was bigger than she thought. Digging her hands in, she decided there was nothing left for her to do but find out what the thing was.

After an hour of digging away at the sand, she stood back and was startled by what she had uncovered. It was a metal door, four by six foot in diameter and, because of a lack of handle, with no apparent way to open it.

She beginning to wonder if she had just wasted an hour of her precious time when the door suddenly swung open, revealing steps leading to a brightly lit corridor. The cool air that washed over her was much welcomed as she stared down into the depths of whatever monster she had awakened. Thinking that this would be a good spot to rest from the sun and hide from the slavers, she decided to go in.

Cautiously, she took a step down the stairs, making sure to watch her footing so as not to go tumbling down into this strange space. When she reached the lowest step, however, her previous worried were forgotten as the door behind her suddenly shut. She ran back up the steps and frantically searched for a way to open it, clawing at the small cracks between the frame and the door.

Suddenly a voice filled her mind, making her freeze her futile search.

"_Hello there, child." _

Erica, for that was the girl's name, knew she should have been afraid. After all, here she was trapped in a strange place with a voice speaking inside her head. However, the voice brought a feeling of comfort to the frightened girl, and the hallway before her certainly did not terrify her, being well lit and airy.

"_Follow the instructions I give you, little one. I would like to meet you."_

_Meet me? This strange voice wanted to meet me?_ she wondered, her face contorting in confusion.

Did she really want to follow a voice in her head through a possible maze of hallways and doors? Of course, what other option did she have?

"All right," she spoke aloud, not knowing if the voice could hear her thoughts.

With the voice giving her directions, and after what felt like an hour of walking through the many halls, she finally reached a door marked with the word 'Plant'. _This must be the core of the plant system_ she thought with a mixture of wonder and fear. Cautiously stepping forward, the door opened to reveal a room of massive size, its domed ceiling reaching almost to the heavens. Off to one side stood several large computers, all beeping away furiously, and on her other side lay what appeared to be the remnants of clothing and bones. But what truly caught her attention, however, was the giant glass bulb in the center which radiated a faint glow. There was movement from inside the bulb and Erica slowly walked up the platform leading to it.

Finally standing before the glass, she attempted to pierce the bright light emanating from the bulb's core. When she succeeded in piercing the light, what she saw took her breath away.

The creature in front of her could only be described as a female angel. She had the normal amount of arms and legs, but they seemed to glow with an unearthly light. She had large black orbs for eyes and dark black hair covered most of her body. What really caught the girl's attention, though, was the several pairs of wings sprouting from the creature's back, giving her a majestic appearance.

"_Do not be afraid, little one. I will not harm you." _

"Are you an angel?" Erica whispered, staring in awe as the being floated closer.

The beautiful creature smiled, sending a wave of happiness over Erica. The angel seemed to be able to project her emotions into the girl's very thoughts, and any feeling of fear evaporated as she looked upon the ethereal creature.

"_You may call me that, if you wish."_

"How long have you been down here, angel?"

"_A very long time, long before you were born, little one. I have been waiting for someone to find me, and have you come."_

"Why did you want to see me?" Erica asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"_I wanted to give you a gift before I die."_

"Die? You can't die!" Erica yelled as a feeling of sadness overwhelmed her. She didn't know why she was acting this emotional, only that the death of this beautiful creature would bring a great sadness. Warm tears trailed down Erica's face as she pressed her hands to the bulb. "I just met you! Please, don't leave me!"

Erica pressed herself against the bulb, wanting to hold the angel close to her as if she could stop death by not letting go. She felt like she was losing her grandmother once again, that selfish death which took everyone she loved. The angel gave her a sad smile that did little to comfort the sobbing girl beneath her.

"_All things must pass on" _she spoke, floating closer to Erica so now only the glass separated them._ "I am truly sorry we could not have talked more, but I know you will use my gift well, and that makes the end easier."_

"What gift?" Erica spoke, shaking her head from side to side as her vision became clouded with tears. "Why me? What could I possibly do with anything you give me?"

"_You can save him, I know you can."_

"Save who? Who's him?" Erica asked, furiously saying anything in an attempt to keep the angel from leaving her. "How will I know it's him?"

The angel did not answer, merely pressing her hands against the glass opposite the Erica's. At the same time, the bulb's light began to glow brighter, so bright that Erica was forced to shut her eyes. Then a strange tingling sensation crept threw her body, filling her with warmth. As she lost consciousness, Erica heard the angel speak one last time.

"_Goodbye, my daughter_."


	2. Searching

A/N: Thanks for reviewing Rosebud. I'm not going to answer any of your questions except two: this is not in an alternate universe and it's a KxOC with a later character thrown in for comedy and emotion counseling.

Searching

Erica slowly stirred, opening her eyes to darkness some time later. Apparently the computers' functions had ceased operating after the death of its power source, so the lights were no longer working. Her head felt light as she struggled to comprehend where she was and what had happened. Then the horrible truth hit her.

The angel was dead, and once more she had been left alone.

Unsteadily rising to her feet she looked around for the exit. Finally, after her eyes had become accustomed to the almost impenetrable dark, she found the door she had walked through. Thankfully it had not shut behind her or she would have had to pry it open.

Walking swiftly through the now foreboding halls with only the sound of her feet hitting the cold floor, she found the door leading outside. Unfortunately, the large slab was still closed so she was forced to go back and find something to use as a lever. Finding a piece of metal about three feet long, she jammed the bar into the space between the door and wall. Gripping the heavy piece, she prepared for a long, hard battle with the metal

Pushing with all her strength, she was surprised to feel the door give way easily. Light shone through a gap large enough for her to squeeze into and escape out to the desert.

"Wow, I'm stronger than I thought" she spoke aloud in an attempt to comfort herself. However, the echoing of the empty halls only added to her fear and she hastily made her way outside.

As Erica scrambled onto the sand and looked around herself, she realized she'd had no food nor water in the past few hours. However, for some reason she felt no hunger nor thirst, merely a shifting in her body as if her muscles were twitching. She also had no idea in which direction to go. However, something in the back of her mind told her to go west, that what she was looking for would be found there. Shrugging her shoulders and looking at the suns for directions, she started walking slowly away from the mysterious compound and the few memories within it.

Four days later found Erica still wearily traveling west, though now a bad was held on her shoulder. She had managed to run into several small towns after walking another day after meeting the angel and had managed to earn a little money doing odd jobs. Using the money to buy supplies she had gone on her way, still no clue as to why her mind was telling her to head west. Her only motivation was that something important was awaiting her there.

However, at the last town she had heard a possible hint as to what was to come. From some locals talking around the local tavern, she had learned about a stranger. Apparently a man had come through town recently, only a few days before her, and his demeanor had attracted quite a bit of attention. He'd stopped for supplies and fuel for his vehicle, all without so much as a word to anyone and avoiding all physical contact with the inhabitants. Then he had taken off as quickly as he could, having paid all his bills in cash. Everyone admitted there was nothing physically unusual about the stranger, but this one had an air about him which none of them had liked. His eyes had a look of malevolence in them, and he had stared at everyone with a look of contempt and disgust.

Erica inquired further from the townspeople, as her curiosity was peaked, but could not find out any more about the stranger. Though coincidentally, she did learn that the man had traveled west out of town, the way her search had been taking her. Silently Erica hoped this stranger had some information on who, or what, she was looking for, as the money she had earned and the supplies she had gained was running low. With more energy in her step she left the town and re-entered the large desert, toward the west and after the stranger.

A week after the incident with the angel, Erica had been trudging along the sand when she suddenly spotted a strange formation ahead. With a sigh of relief she quickened her steps in hope, her feet flying over the sand and her eyes not watching where she was going

And nearly caused a disaster.

With a short squeak and a flailing of arms Erica skidded to a halt at the brink of a precipice. She had nearly fallen head long into a huge crater, the sides steep and rocks scattered along the sand. However, her heavy breathing was caught in her throat as she beheld what the hole held. There, situated in the very center, sat a large complex composed entirely of metal. The main portion of the structure was a large dome shaped area with the curve nearly reaching over the crater. Several smaller portions, all rectangular in shape, lay sprawled out around the dome.

Taking a closer look at the walls, there appeared to be an entrance of some sort directly below her. Erica searched around for a way to climb down to the building, but she could find none. Instead, she opted for the slip and slide method, which involved losing her balance half-way down and sliding the rest of the way on her stomach. Reaching the bottom in a cloud of dust, she carefully stood, after making sure there were no broken bones and such, and carefully approached the entrance.

When Erica reached the metal rectangle, she noticed that the door was similar to the one on the ship meaning there was yet again no knob nor handle. However, what she did see was a pad with the design of a hand imprinted on the smooth surface. Slowly lifting her own hand, she placed it on the pad and watched with no small amount of fear as a single green line moved up and down the pad. Then an unemotional voice sounded out **"Access Accepted. You may enter."**

Erica jumped back as the door slid open to reveal a long passage that stretched out of sight. Peering curiously into the hall, she took a deep breath and walked several steps into the strange building. Seeing as nothing happened, she began slowly strolling down the hall, wondering what she was getting herself into.


	3. Paradise

A/N: Thanks for reviewing. And to Rosebud, I honestly don't know how many people I'll put in. I don't have many chapters written yet, but I'll put them up till I run out.

Paradise

Knives watched with concentration as the many computers before him flashed, giving him readouts of the program scans. He'd been running thorough scans of all the computer systems, checking to see if any damage had been done in his absence. He had only just returned from a year and a half imprisonment put upon him by his brother.

_Idiot, did he have to shoot me so many times! _Knives thought angrily as he rubbed his still sore limbs. The wounds had not quite healed, so he continually experienced some discomfort. _Maybe those annoying women damaged something _he thought suspiciously, with a hint of disgust in his voice. _Especially the big one _he added, almost giving a small shudder at the surfacing memories. _Damn it Vash, letting humans care for me!_

Overall, Knives thought the experience had been degrading, and he'd left as soon as a chance was given. Vash had been less than happy about him leaving before his wounds were fully healed but the plant had ignored his brother's sputtering, buying a vehicle and returning to his ship.

Suddenly one of the terminals flashed, alerting Knives that someone had entered the ship. _It must be Vash trying to get me to return_ he thought with a chiding sigh. Standing up, he grabbed the black gun he had made for himself all those years ago. On the return journey he had recovered it from the battlefield, also gaining possession of Vash's since his twin refused to use the 'present' any longer. Thankfully they both still worked after all that time exposed to the elements.

Entering the arboretum, Knives hid behind one of the many trees. He patiently waited for the person to come to him, intent on surprising his 'dearest' brother with a welcome of bullets. However, he was in for a shock of his own.

Erica, after being trapped in the strange compound for a few hours, now only walked straight ahead. She had taken far too many corners and now knew she had become lost. After a few minutes of her new strategy luck seemed to shine on her as she noticed a light ahead. Coming out of the hall, she came to a halt at the sight in front of her.

It was, for lack of a better word, paradise. Before her spread an open area of almost an ile, green, lush grass covering every inch of the ground. Fruit trees off to the side grew along a flowing stream while several other varieties of trees grew in random areas, creating small, scenic patches of woodland. In the middle of all this lush growth there was a meadow, filled with blooming wild flowers and strange, winged creatures flying from bud to bud.

With a gleeful giggle and clapping her hands, Erica began exploring the many trees. Walking among the fruit trees her stomach rumbled loudly, causing her to look about for food. Peering at the variety, she eagerly picked a large bundle of strange, crescent-shaped fruit from one tree. Sitting down cross-legged below the tree with her treasure, she happily dove into the delicious appetizers. Of course, she soon realized there was a skin on the fruit and found the inside to be much more enjoyable.

Knives, when Erica entered the arboretum, was shocked to see a human inside his ship. He angrily watched as she slowly explored his paradise, and was about to reveal himself when a sudden thought struck him. If his idiot brother had brought the female, though a mystery of who the girl was, then such an explanation would answer how she entered his ship.

With his new thoughts Knives now half-expected his idiot brother to come behind, Vash's stupid grin plastered on his face. However, as he continued to watch the human apparently search her surroundings, and his brother did not appear, doubts began surfaced. She couldn't have come alone, but if Vash wasn't with the spider how could she have entered the compound?

When the girl plucked the fruit off the tree and began to devour the fruit, however, he could stand there no longer. If Vash hadn't brought the her and there was indeed a breach in his security, then he would have to immediately fix both problems.

Beginning with the spider before him.

Erica happily finished the last of the food, rubbing her stomach contentedly with a soft sigh. She was about to stand when she suddenly sensed someone watching her, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. Turning slowly, she nearly choked on the food in her mouth.

Standing in the middle of the flowers was a man pointing a gun at her head.

Erica heart skipped a beat as she slowly stood up and began backing away. She hoped beyond hope to make good her escape before he acted, her eyes shifting to the entrance to the paradise.

"Stop!" Knives growled, his tone barely below a shout of ire. "How did you get in here, spider!" he interrogated, his voice filled with confusion and anger at the confusion he felt for her intrusion.

Erica immediately halted her retreat at the sound of the man's voice, her eyes growing wide in terror. His tone was so cold that she felt her bones freeze and her blood run cold. _Spider?_ she thought with a shiver. _Why is he calling me a spider? And why is he pointing a gun at me!_

However, now was not the time to ask him questions as the stranger cocked the large gun he held. "I-I j-just pressed the p-pad a-and the door s-slid open," Erica answered, her eyes glued to the large gun he held.

"That is impossible, the computer will not respond to any spider" Knives spoke, studying the girl in front of him carefully. There was something different about her, but he couldn't say what. Her long blond hair was not an unusual trait for spiders and she was dressed in plain enough clothes. A large white trench coat, much like his brother's but lacking the double buttons running down the front, covered much of her body. Only portions of her black jeans showed underneath, while white hiking boots covered her feet. Her grimy, sand covered white shirt was typical of the desert planet, and a backpack was flung over one shoulder was apparently filled with her supplies.

However, Knives knew he couldn't let her live, no matter what sensation he received from her. He carefully aimed the gun at her temple, squeezing the trigger with a feeling of glee when suddenly a voice inside his head spoke.

"_No! Stop!"_

Knives clutched his head at the sudden shouts, the yells echoing through every corner of his mind. He dropped to his knees, his hand still holding the gun with a stubborn grip as his mind felt as if someone had violently knocked his head against a wall. The voice he recognized instantly as that of the main plant angel of his ship. His mind buzzed as to why she had stopped him, his now unfocused eyes failing at tracking the spider before him as he tried to recover from the mental blow.

Erica watched with a mix of fascination and pity as the man in front of her fell to his knees in pain. She would have rushed to his side if the gun hadn't fallen not far from him and his eyes hadn't been tracking her with an unrelenting gaze. Apparently gaining control of whatever had afflicted him, he promptly grabbed the gun and stood back up. Swiftly the weapon was once more aimed in her direction, though now with an unsteady hand.

"You," Knives huffed out, not fully recovered from the angel's angered voice. "Come with me." He headed toward the plant room, intent on finding out why his sister had stopped him and how this spider had entered his ship.


	4. Daughter

A/N: I've been threatened by my 'editor' with bodily harm if I didn't post my other chapters, so here's one. Thanks for reading!

Daughter

Knives would have gladly left the girl behind in the arboretum rather than be in the company of such filth, but he did not trust to leave her alone with the delicate ecosystem. However, walking a few steps after giving the command to follow, he suddenly realized that she was not following him. Turning around he once again he cocked his gun at the spider, giving the female scowl of disapproval. "I said follow me, spider."

At the evident annoyance and anger in his words, Erica suddenly found the will to move and nodded her head vehemently. She followed by force this strange man through halls and past many doors, stopping before a door marked with the word she was familiar with.

Plants.

_Are there angels here, too_? she wondered with both wonder and growing curiosity.

Knives growled angrily beneath his breath at leading the spider to such a sacred place, but knew he could not kill the female without the angels interfering. Keeping one eye on the spider he opened the door and stepped in, followed quickly by the filth. However, his attention was fully caught by the glowing bulbs within the center of the plant, a strange pulsing coming from the angels which he had never felt before.

Walking into the room, Erica noticed immediately that this room was much bigger than the one she'd been in before. There were many more computers lined along both walls while in the middle sat five large bulbs, each pulsing with a stronger light than she remembered the other one having.

"More angels!" she yelled excitedly, any fears for her predicament forgotten at the majestic creatures. Not heeding the fact that the psychotic man still held the gun at her, Erica flung her backpack towards him. "Here, hold this for me please" she asked as she raced toward the bulbs.

Out of more surprise than obedience, Knives grabbed the bag before it slammed into his face. The act caused him to drop the gun in the process, though he quickly threw the pack to the ground in anger. Before he could stop her from moving, however, the spider had begun to run up the platform.

Erica ran directly toward the middle bulb, in which appeared an angel similar to the one she had seen before. However, this one had long flowing white hair and had a slightly different face. She hesitated as she got closer, fearing that she might scare the beautiful creature and looking on in wonder as the others gathered close to the glass in their own bulbs.

When Erica was only a yarz away, she stopped and stared at the glowing angel before her. The female smiled and reached her hand out to touch the glass, her body pulsing with a happy light. Erica did the same, returning the joyous feeling with a bright smile. She could feel the energy flowing between them and relaxed, entirely forgetting about the much perplexed maniac behind her.

Knives watched the interaction with shock. The angel was actually trying to speak to the female spider, showing favoritism with such a wretched being. He had never seen one interact so openly with the plant engineers, much less this spider whom just happened to walk into the room.

Knives was startled from his thoughts as he felt a wave of energy pass between the two. His perplexed face turned into one of complete shock as he realized the plant was attempting to exchange power between the spider. Such an action was not physically possible for the filth because they could not accept the power, much less exchange it with their own. Their body structures were just too different and only plants had that ability, which this girl was certainly not.

Knives growled at the she was also performing, approaching and touching the glass of his sisters without his permission. Tightening the grip on his gun he began striding up the platform, his mouth set in a firm, homicidal line. When he had almost reached the spider he was suddenly stopped by a powerful blast of psychic energy, the same as before in the arboretum but much stronger. With a painful cry he dropped to the floor, both hand clutching at his head as the aftershocks hit his mind. As soon as his vision returned to him he looked to his sisters, intent on questioning their actions, but the energy pulsing from them told him to remain silent. A soft growl escaped his lips at his older siblings' confusing messages but he held his position for the time being, more to think than to obey their plea.

While Knives was wandering through his mind attempting to find an answer to the puzzle before him, Erica and the angel were having a talk.

"_Hello, little daughter."_

"_Little daughter?" _Erica questioned in her mind, somehow knowing the angel would hear her words.

"_Yes"_ the angel answered with a soft humming noise, apparently representing a small chuckle._ "One of our kind brought you into this world, so you are daughter to all of us."_

"_What do you mean 'brought me into this world'? I wasn't born from an angel" _Ericareplied, something akin to fear entering into her words. She didn't understand what the angel was trying to tell her and her mind was buzzing with questions which wouldn't form. She'd never even met an angel until five days ago, but she wanted to know so much more about them. With how little she knew, however, she realized perfectly well she could not have been born of one.

"_Look at your reflection, little one" _the angel gently commanded.

Erica hesitantly looked away from the angel and focused her eyes on the container. The creature's lights dimmed and the glass of the bulb suddenly became reflective, showing a face she barely recognized as her own.

Erica looked at her reflection in shock. Her once dull brown eyes were now a crystal blue, much like the color of the sky. Her waist length hair, once raven black, was now a golden blond, reflecting the lights within the room and shining brightly.

What in god's name had happened to her?

"Wha-what happened to me?" she yelled aloud, her hands pulling away from the glass and breaking the connection with the angel.

Knives was torn from his thoughts as the female in front of him screamed. He covered his ears as it echoed around the room, once more having the urge to shoot her and to hell with the plant's wishes. Ignoring the angel's voices in his head he had covered most of the distance separating them before even thinking, so intent on he to do her harm, before he watched the spider suddenly slump to the floor. Her sobbing only angered him further as he finally reached the foolish female.

The angel tried her best to comfort the Erica, leaning against the glass in an effort to communicate to her. Unfortunately, the girl only sat there crying, confusion and fear filling her entire being. That is, until Knives walked up to her and slammed his hand against the side of her face.

"Stop crying, wretched spider!" he yelled, wanting the noise to cease. Knives had seen a female spider cry before and had always been unable to handle the emotions the sight caused him to feel.

Erica from the impact was thrown into the bulb, her back taking the full brunt. With a screech worse than the earlier scream she tore her back away from the glass, collapsing on the floor in agony. Tears still slid down her face, but they were now tears of pain rather than fear and shock.

The angel glared down at Knives and once again attempted to call to the girl below her. This time Erica raised her head and looked into the angel's eyes, her tears ceasing almost immediately. Finding in them pity mixed with kindness, she ignored the violent man standing over her and raised her hands against the glass. Slowly she felt her body phase through the bulb and into the comforting arms of the angel, a contented sigh escaping her lips as her eyes grew heavy with weariness. Her clothes were left behind, being unable to phase along with her body, but Erica cared little as consciousness began to leave her.

The angel slid back into the depths of her bulb, her little daughter held tightly in her arms.


	5. Revelations

A/N: I know these are short chapters, but I promise later I'll make them more descriptive and interesting. For now, bear with me. As always, thanks to my readers and reviewers!

Revelations

Knives watched dumbfounded and curious as the spider's body completely phased through the glass and into the arms of the angel. How was the filth able to have such an ability? Only his brother and he were able to perform such a complicated task, and even then the energy required took a heavy toll on their bodies. Then he was hit with another shocking image.

As Knives watched the female phase into the bulb and her clothes were left behind, he saw why she had cried out in pain when her back had hit the glass. Most of her body, but especially her back, were traced with bloodied, infected lines, as of a whip lash. Some were deep lacerations, cut nearly an inch into her skin, while others were simply flesh wounds. The injuries could not have been more than two weeks old, judging by the soreness and lack of healing. Someone had obviously abused the spider with little regard to her survival. He marveled at how she could have endured such abuse and still be standing.

Knives, however, was once more snapped out of his thoughts when the angel took the girl deeper into the bulb. "Stop, what are you doing?" he yelled, barely containing his rage at what he considered a blasphemous act. _How dare she take that human into her bulb, and also to heal her!_

Knives slammed his hands against the glass with a cry of anger, watching helplessly as the angel disappeared with her bundle. However, he soon became aware that the other four angels were trying to communicate with him, and by their energy radiating off them he knew the discussion would not be a pleasant one. Sighing in defeat at the coming barrage, he opened his mind and felt a rush of emotion that made him stagger back as if from a physical punch.

By the impression Knives was being given, the angels held a strong attachment to the spider. He knew that angels had a foolish sense of parental responsibility toward humans, and would protect them with their lives, but this emotion he felt was beyond anything he had experienced before. By the garbled message these angels were actually willing to go against his wishes rather than see the female harmed.

"_What are you doing?_ he angrily questioned, looking from one angel to the next._ "That human is not one of us!_" he screamed in his mind, pounding a fist against the main angel's bulb for emphasis. Couldn't they see that this girl was their enemy, one of the race who was slowly killing their brethren?

"_No"_ the angels spoke together firmly, responding to his thoughts. _"She is not to blame for the suffering of our kind."_ Then a slight pause attracted Knives' attention and his eyes slowly flitted to the angel on his left, the one who unofficially acted as the 'mouth' of the others when the main angel was resting. The next words she spoke sent both a chill of fear and anger through her body.

"_And she is no longer human."_

The last statement perplexed Knives beyond his comprehension, the words almost an oxymoron in their use. After all, a spider could never be a plant, no matter what had happened to them. _"What do you mean 'not human anymore'?_ he questioned, his eyes narrowing suspiciously at this almost mocking discussion._ "Vash and I are the only free born plants in existence, and by her appearance, she is obviously not a freed angel!"_

"_Our sister gave her life to bring her into this world. "We cannot allow her sacrifice to be wasted,"_ spoke the lead angel gently, the energy of the plants slightly sad as they apparently thought of their lost sister.

"_Gave her life?_ Knives inwardly shouted, his teeth clenching together with utter frustration._ "Are you telling me that an angel transferred her energy into this female spider? What reason could she have for doing this, for creating this, this abomination?"_

Knives stumbled backward as he felt another wave of anger emanate from the angels before him. _"She is our daughter!"_ they once more cried in unison, the energy around them turning a deep red from their own ire._ "We will not allow you to harm her in any way!"_

Knives took a willing step away from the bulbs as he allowed himself time to assess what his sisters were saying. Shaking his head, the male plant realized he would need time to think about this new revelation. Knowing the female's extensive injuries would need a good deal of healing, possibly a day, he politely nodded and closed his mind to the angels. Starting toward the computer room, he surmised maybe the computer's databases would explain how the angel had done this.

And how to reverse the process.


	6. Understanding

A/N: I went back and changed the previous chapters, making them more descriptive and not so rushed. Thanks to my readers and reviewers!

Understanding

Knives was becoming frustrated. He had been searching the computers' files the entire day for answers to the angels' confusing and troubling words, if merely to prove them to himself. Yet with his vast database of knowledge on the plants, he was still unable to find how the angel had been able to communicate with the spider through the transference of energy. More importantly, he had not found how to change the female back to a spider, if indeed she was now a freeborn plant.

Unfortunately, the hypothesis that the filth was a plant was highly more likely than the contrary. He had specifically programed the computers' systems only to allow those with plant DNA to enter the ship, and she had obviously gained access on her own. Thus the only possibility was the filth was indeed one of his kind.

Knives growled at his thoughts and pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation as he looked at the clock on the wall, noting with a start that the abomination's wounds should be healed. Standing up and stretching, he made his way to the plant room to begin his interrogation.

Erica curled deeper in the warmth herself as she slowly woke up from the most amazing dream. She dreamt that there were angels humming beautiful songs, and a psychotic man had held a large, black gun to her head. Unwillingly, as she felt sleep leave her, she opened her eyes only to have her vision blocked by bright, white lights all around her. _What the...?_ she thought with confusion, her eyes shooting open wider when she realized a pair of gentle arms were holding her. She quickly turned her head and looked into the face of the angel from her dreams.

_It wasn't a dream!_

Erica instinctively began struggling against the angel's grasp but quickly found that her body felt strangely weak, hampering any successful effort. Looking once again into the angel's face, she saw a hint of amusement in the smile. _"Where am I?" _she asked the being, finally calming down.

"_You are in the core of the ship's power system, child_._ Do not worry," _the angel replied with a gentle humming noise to further sooth Erica. However, noticing the look of terror creeping across the girl's face she wrapped her arms tighter around her daughter in an act of comfort. _"You can not be harmed here. I have healed the wounds on your body."_

Erica nodded dumbly, not quite believing nor understanding everything the angel was telling her. With a surprised squeak she suddenly felt herself being lowered and looked down to see the plant room come into view. The angel settled her on the bottom of the bulb and she gave the plant a questioning look, her eyes touching the glass in apprehension.

"_I will help you, daughter"_ the angel responded to her unspoken confusion.

Holding onto Erica's body, the plant gently began pushing her through the glass of the bulb, encouraging the girl within her mind to assist. Erica helped as much as she could, trying to tap into the same source of energy the angel was using. Soon she dropped to the ground, though the fall was a few feet onto a hard grate, and rubbed her now bruising underside as she looked behind her to the angel.

However, Erica suddenly felt an ominous emotion approaching her, a hatred so deep that it could only come from one person. She swiftly turned her head and saw with dismay the man who had pointed the gun at her when she had arrived. He no longer had the gun but the look on his face was the same as before, disgust filled with the desire to kill her on sight. She scooted back against the bulb as she helplessly watched the man stride up to her, stopping not more than a yarz before her position. He looked up and down her body for a moment with disdain before once looking to her face.

That was when Erica realized all her clothes were piled under her. Feeling her face burn with embarrassment, she gave an indignant scream and quickly grabbed her trench coat. Throwing the clothing over her naked body, she cast a look of fury at the man as she carefully picked up her remaining outfit and stuffed them into her backpack.

"What did you think you were doing!" she spat angrily, her eyes narrowing at the unemotional mask the man wore.

Knives watched the female's mad scramble for clothes with indifference. He had looked over her body only to see if the angel had healed her wounds, not to amuse a spider's emotion of lust. Much to his disappointment there was no signs of them ever existing, not even a red welt. Now he would have to decide what to do with this new 'plant, after he questioned her thoroughly. He would gladly have thrown her out of the ship without such an interview as soon as she exited the bulb, but he knew well the angels would have been furious with him. _Wonderful _he thought sarcastically, glaring down at the intrusive female. _I am forced to babysit this filth until I can find a way to reverse the process._

Erica watched the man in front of her wearily, her eyes flitting between him and the exit. _I wonder if he'll try to shoot me when my back is turned?_ she spoke to herself, imagining the scene with a shudder and looking to see if he had the weapon hidden in his clothes. However, the outfit he wore barely appeared to fit his body, the tight clothing almost stretching over his muscles.Swiftly shaking her head and standing up from her seat, she started to walk down the platform while trying to skirt the obviously unstable and perverted man in front of her. However, he blocked her path as she reached him.

"Listen to me, filth," he spoke with as much malice as he could put into his words. Knives was amused to see the spider in front of him flinch. "I will not hesitate to kill you if attempt to leave my ship. I have several questions that you have the answers to."

"Well, I don't have anything to tell you" Erica answered angrily, huffing at his rude tone. "And don't call me such a word, I have a name!" she finished, side-stepping the now fuming man and marching past him. However, before she could even jerk he had caught her arm with amazing speed, causing her mouth to fall open in both surprise and some fear. "Let go of me!" she yelled, struggling in his iron grip. "You're not my keeper! You have no right to hold me here against my will!"

"I can and I will, abomination" the man answered quietly, his voice cold and calm. There was something in his tone that made Erica's blood run cold and she stopped her thrashing about immediately. He really did want to kill her, she could tell as much from the energy coming off of him in waves, but why and what was stopping him? "I will call you what I chose, filth" he continued, squeezing her arm for emphasis. "Obey me and you will live, but defy me and you will die a slow, painful death."

"If you want to kill me so badly, why don't you just do it?" she asked, the words pouring out of her mouth before she had time to stop them. Erica was puzzled to see him look past her toward the five bulbs, but her confusion lasted only for a second as she understood why he couldn't kill her. The angels wouldn't let him! There was some comfort in the thought that someone around her was willing to protect her from this mad man.

"I choose not to because you are still useful to me" he spoke coldly, though Erica could see the shifting lie in his eyes. "However, you **will** obey me or I will decide that your usefulness has come to an end, understand?"

"Perfectly," she said, wondering once again what she had gotten herself into by entering this false paradise.


	7. Desperation

A/N: Just a small glimpse into my insanity. Special thanks to Moonlight6 for your kind review! Thanks to all my readers and reviewers!

Desperation

It had only been three days since the spider had emerged from the bulb and Knives already knew he was going to need help with the filth. The female was driving him to the brink of his patience with her utter lack of obedience toward him, and even a disregard for his orders. The abomination would merely wander around the arboretum, staring at the plants and entirely ignoring his presence when he was around. The plant didn't really mind the silent treatment, except the first time he tried to give her an order. She had given him an insolent look, as if he was crazy, and had walked off muttering.

Also, Knives had yet to learn how she had become the creature she was, the female's response to his questioning always being a faraway look followed by the filth wandering off to sit beneath what was apparently her favorite tree. He could do nothing to force her to release her information, having attempted to slap her one day only to be knocked back by the force of the angels' anger.

However, what had truly begun to irk Knives was her actions toward his sisters. Every day she would visit the plants, without his permission, had merely sit next to them speaking aloud about every topic the fool could think of. He had no idea what the angels were telling this creature, and he didn't want his sisters bonding with the abomination.

Unfortunately, Knives didn't have the time to watch the girl, examine the computers' extensive databases for information on power transfers, _and_ run the ship properly. However, he could only think of one other person fit for the job of babysitting and whom he would trust with the location of his ship. He groaned inwardly with his decision, knowing that in bringing him here he would be sacrificing the safety of his delicate equipment.

But what other choice did he have?

Knives knew, also, that he would have to leave the filth alone during the time it took to complete his mission. She would just slow him down in his search for the idiot, and no longer could he stand being in her presence. To extinguish any worries he had, the plant decided to seal all the doors except those leading to the arboretum, the creature's adopted room, and the plant room. He only hoped without his supervision she would not destroy the delicate vegetation, but he had no other choice but to hope for their survival.

Using the vehicle he had bought, Knives left his haven and traveled west for several days. On the fifth day he finally arrived at the small town he last saw his brother and his 'pets' in, and finding much to his irritation Vash and the filth had apparently moved on. Standing before the house empty of all their belongings, the plant shook his head in disbelief. _Just my luck to have such a wandering idiot for a brother _he thought with some pity, both toward his brother and of himself. Now he would be forced to go searching for them, which probably wouldn't take very long.

His brother was the infamous Humanoid Typhoon after all, there was bound to be an incident or total annihilation of a town sooner or later.

Three days later Knives entered the town of Kansas with growing impatience at his unsuccessful search, not even a hint coming his way about the Humanoid Typhoon. However, his luck soon turned as he noted a group of townspeople gathered in the town square, each carrying a weapon and looking quite eager to begin something. He could have even sworn he saw a few pitchforks and some torches, which was odd being that there was no use for pitchforks anywhere on Gunsmoke, and it was the middle of the day. Immediately, however, he had recognized the usual crowd of filth trying to get the bounty on Vash once they had found out who he was.

Apparently he had come just in time to find his brother exactly where he thought he would be, in trouble.

"Come on everyone," he suddenly heard Vash say, causing Knives to roll his eyes in annoyance at knowing what was to follow. "Can't we all just get along?"

Unfortunately for Vash, this town was packing.

In answer to the blond idiot's question, Knives heard no less than fifty pistols, thirty-three shot guns, fifteen stun guns, six pea shooters and a bazooka being cocked, all of which was followed by a very loud girlish scream from the fearless outlaw.

Amusingly Knives watched as a streak of red shot out from the crowd and ran into the nearest alley. _So the hunt is on_ he thought with humor as the mob realized their target had escaped. With a few shouts and much pointing they began their chase after the blond bounty, their mouths practically frothing at the ridiculously large bounty on the Typhoon's head. Following in close pursuit, Knives decided it would be entertaining to see how his brother alluded these pathetic spiders.


	8. Chase

A/N: This happens when I've been given too much caffeine. Thanks to my readers and reviewers!

Chase

"How do you manage to do this so often without getting yourself killed!" Knives asked between gasps as he checked the shrapnel wounds he had received from that last bazooka attack. The sounds of shouts and gun shots echoed around him and he grimaced he heard someone yell out their position.

"Practice, bro," Vash said with a smile as they turned a corner to escape a barrage of lead. He was so far unscathed, having managed to dive out a second-story window before the bazooka shell exploded.

"Are you calling me an amateur?" Knives indignantly asked, insulted at the mere idea that Vash might be better at something than him. Any further discussion on the matter was interrupted as a shotgun was discharged from a nearby alley, the shot barely missing the brothers and increasing their speed by several iles per hour. The plant cursed his brother's luck, which had surely caused this predicament.

Knives had followed the mob through the streets easily, attempting to keep himself hidden while watching the 'fun'. Unfortunately for him, someone had spotted the twin and mistaken him for his brother, being that they were nearly identical in appearance. The consequence was that half of the town had decided to take him while the other kept their pursuit of Vash, hunting both in order to capture the right one. The brothers had now been running for their lives for the last eight hours, a new record for even the Humanoid Typhoon.

"Duck!" Vash yelled as another spray of shotgun pellets came out of the nearest convenience store.

Knives felt the pellets clip his hair as he tumbled out of the line of fire, glass falling around him as a window shattered behind him. On instinct he stood up and started running, a panting Vash joining him several seconds later. The goofy blond glanced at his brother to see if he was fine, did a double take, and then started laughing uncontrollably.

"What are you laughing at, you idio..." Knives began yelling just as they passed a shop window. He screeched to a halt and stared at his reflection, his mouth gaping open in horror.

Knives had a mohawk.

Apparently the shot gun's pellets had somehow managed to shave off both sides of his head, leaving only the middle portion untouched. However, the plant cared little about how such had happened, only that it had and the cause of the humiliation was beside him.

Knives slowly turned to Vash, a homicidal glint in his eyes. "Vash, I promise you, when we get out of this mess I am going to give you a haircut" he spoke slowly, his grin widening to reveal abnormally sharpened teeth.

This statement may not have sounded very threatening, but considering who was saying the threat Vash inwardly shivered. Also, by the chopping movements Knives was making with his hands, the blond plant had a feeling the procedure was not going to involve a pair of scissors. Actually, he believed a pair of hedge clippers would be more correct, or maybe a chainsaw.

"What did _I_ do?" he whine, holding his hands up defensively.

Their conversation was cut short by a shout of "I found 'em!" followed quickly by a spray of gunfire from about twenty different directions. Diving into the shop, both brothers made it to the back door at the same time. Which caused them to get stuck.

"Vash, get the hell out of my way!" Knives growled, pushing his shoulder into one of Vash's ribs. "I am older, so I demand to go first."

"What do you mean you're older?" Vash argued, wincing as a loose nail dug into his thigh. "We were born at the same time!"

"Yeah, but you always act like a five year old."

Vash was about to counter for himself when there was a large explosion to their right. Apparently the bazooka guy didn't have such good aim. The wall and doorway they were stuck in collapsed, causing their faces to slam into the dirt. Both scrambled to their feet and took off to the left in the hopes of reaching the outskirts of town.

No such luck. A barrier had been erected with sentries posted every twenty feet, making for an impenetrable wall of ammunition and barbed wire.

"Wow," said Vash as they skidded to a halt and ran back toward the center of town. "These guys are really prepared."

"Now is not the time to compliment our assassins!" Knives yelled, slapping his twin on the back of the head as they slowed down to take a corner.

"Oh, right" Vash corrected, giving an idiotic grin. Then his face turned to one of horror as he let out a high-pitched scream of "We're gonna die!"

"Vash, that is not helping either!" the psychotic twin growled as they ducked into a tomas livery. "Why do we not use our guns and shoot our way out of this proverbial hell!" he nearly screamed, both scrambling through questionable material as they made their way out the back.

"Come on, Knives, just think of it as a game of tag," Vash said as he ducked under a clothes line and jumped over a tomas trough.

"What the hell are you talking about, Vash!" Knives spoke as he stared at his twin in utter bewilderment. " If we get tagged, there won't be a second round!"

"Oh, right."

Seeing a group of townspeople at the end of the street they were on, the brothers dived into the nearest building. Unfortunately, that happened to be an outhouse.

"Knives, what's that smell?"

"Shut up, you idiot! I don't want to think about it..." the platinum blond muttered angrily. "And besides, someone will hear you!" he hissed.

Click.

"Um, Knives, I think it's too late."

There was a deafening sound of gunshots as the outhouse was riddled with holes, pieces of wood flying in all directions. Soon, however, all that remained was a few mozzarella walls and a still completely intact door. The mob surrounding the building inched closer, trying to determine if their quarry had been killed, horribly mutilated, or quite possibly both. Suddenly the door burst open and two very bad smelling streaks ran by. Vash and Knives had been forced to jump down the hole to escape the gun fire.

"Screw the barricade, Vash!" Knives yelled as he ran and tried to hold his breath at the same time.

"I'm with you, bro!" Vash agreed whole heartedly.

And with that, the two brothers ran full speed past the guards and into the desert, never to be smelled, I mean, seen again.


	9. Explanation

A/N: Another addition with more humor. Thanks to my readers and reviewers!

Explanation

Several days later the weary brothers finally arrived at the ship. Of course, both had agreed wholeheartedly to the taking of baths at the first hotel they had come across, even the human phobic neglecting to grumble about the humans around him. Knives, however, was still upset about the chase, so Vash had been quieter than usual in order not to instil the wrath of his homicidal brother. Besides, the blond still didn't know why his sibling needed him, but knew he must have been desperate to have searched him out.

Vash only broke the silence to tell Knives the insurance girls were visiting Millie's large family for a few weeks, though silently he wondered why he bothered since the cold plant barely acknowledged he had spoken of his friends.

When the ship came into view, Vash marveled at how intact the structure was. He idly wondered if any of the humans had survived the crash, but assumed not as especially since there was no sign a settlement had been created around the base. As he climbed out of the vehicle, his curiosity peeked not for the first time as to why his brother refused to tell him why he needed him. All his sibling had said was a family problem had suddenly arisen that needed to be dealt with.

With those thoughts in mind, Vash silently followed Knives into the ship.

Quickly walking through the interior of the ship without a single word, Knives stopped when they reached the arboretum. Searching to see if the abomination had destroyed the environment, he was surprised to find everything was as he had left it but brushed the emotion as merely not enough time for the filth to have destroyed anything. Looking for the female, he did not see her anywhere and knew there was only one other place she could be.

Ignoring Vash's cry of amazement at the sight of the lush environment, Knives briskly walked in the direction of the plant room. When he entered, he found the filth leaning against the center bulb and obviously communicating with the angel. Opening his mind in an instant, he rejoiced at being able to hear their conversation as his sister appeared to be openly speaking.

"_Why does he have to be so disagreeable all the time?"_ Knives heard the female say, gritting his teeth as he realized the abomination was speaking of him._ "I mean, I didn't ask for this gift but he acts like it's all my fault." _The disobedient manner her tone showed raised his ire further and he realized he would have to remedy that bad habit quickly, with or without his sibling's assistance.

"_He has wounds that he can not heal by himself."_ Knives heard the angel respond gently, apparently trying to curb the female's dislike._ "That is why you must be strong and break through his emotional barriers, child." _Then the plant suddenly stopped and looked in Knives' direction, her brightened face turning downward slightly. Erica, wondering what the angel was staring at, also turned and saw that the insane plant had returned.

Rising and brushing herself off, Erica calmly walked down the platform toward the door. She expected him to ignore her or give her a command, but instead he grabbed her by the arm.

"Do not speak of me in such a manner ever again, abomination" he ordered, voice barely above a whisper. "If you do, I will be forced to use other, more persuasive methods." Knives tightened his hold to emphasize his threat, grinning with a slight madness on the corners of his mouth.

Erica trembled unconsciously, momentarily unsure if he would abide by the plants' wishes not to harm her.

At that moment was when Vash decided to step into the room. Seeing his brother holding someone who appeared to be girl, and a very cute girl to boot, he quickly raced up the platform and wrenched her from his brother's grasp.

"Knives, what do you think you're doing?" he asked, pushing the girl behind him in a protective manner. "That's no way to treat a lady!"

Suddenly, it dawned on Vash that there was a human girl staying in his brother's home. His mouth slowly formed into a smile as he looked back and forth between Knives and the girl, his eyes gleaming mischievously.

"Um, Knives?" he questioned with an innocent tone. "What are you doing with this pretty young lady in your ship?"

"Vash, get your mind out of the gutter!" Knives order, sensing the insinuating tone and mentally gagging. "This...this _abomination_ is only here because the plants do not want her to leave."

With those words Vash was now truly perplexed. This girl was here because the plants specifically wished for her to be here? Obviously they were going against Knives' wishes, since the total annihilation of all mankind was his only purpose in life. He couldn't fathom what special attachment the angels had to this girl, but it had to have been strong to force his brother to keep her here.

"Knives, I think you have some explaining to do."


	10. Answers

A/N: More humor, and some life threatening situations. Thanks to my readers and reviewers!

Answers

_I don't understand how people so closely related could have such different attitudes _Erica thought wonderingly, leaning on one hand as she shook her head in disbelief. She was sitting at a table in what appeared to be a kitchen, staring at the brothers intently.

After her first meeting with the man who introduced himself as Vash, the psychotic man had led them through the ship and into the room where they now sat. Erica had been shocked her captor had dropped the conversation so quickly with the new inmate of the ship, wondering what power the man in red had over the insane one.

_And why is he wearing_ _a hat?_ Erica noticed as she looked to Knives, her head cocked to the side in puzzlement.

Knives noticed the female's eyes trained on his covering and glared at her, pulling the cloth further over his head. He still had his mohawk from the chase and, because of the confrontation with the filth, hadn't had time to regenerate his hair in one of the plant bulbs. For some reason which he couldn't explain even to himself, he didn't want the 'plant', or whatever she was, to know about his new 'look'.

After he finished informing Vash on the current situation, or as much as he could given the female had still refused to tell her story, Knives stood up to retrieve himself a cup of coffee. Vash merely sat there, taking in the new developments and what they could mean with a straight, serious face.

Erica silently and carefully watched the brothers' reactions with curiosity, wondering what course of action they would take with her. She wanted to be like she was before, a human with less problems, but there were perks to being a plant. She was able to talk to the angels without any trouble, and her physical strength had increased dramatically. Besides, the first angel she'd met had said something about helping someone. She should at least keep the dying wish of the plant angel, if only to honor her memory.

"There's nothing in the archives?" Vash said, interrupting Erica's thoughts. "Nothing on how an angel could have transformed this girl into a plant?"

"Don't you think I've looked?" Knives answered bitterly, staring at Erica with some disgust and continued with a rising tone. "For the last week I have scoured the data banks, but have been unable to find anything. What really aggravates me is the plants insist on calling her 'daughter'" he said angrily, slamming his coffee mug down on the kitchen table.

The action startled Erica, but Vash was unfazed. In fact, he seemed greatly amused by the title. Vash waited for Knives to take a drink from his mug, then smiled slyly at him.

"So, that means we're her uncles."

The coffee blasted from Knives' mouth and across the table, covering a large area. Vash, knowing beforehand Knives' reaction, managed to duck under the table. Erica, on the other hand, wasn't as quick. The liquid sprayed her heavily, covering her face and upper body in the thankfully lukewarm substance.

Knives stared shocked at Erica's appearance, his mouth twitching slightly. The sight of the female drenched in coffee, mouth wide open in a silent scream, was almost too much for his restrained emotions to handle. To distract his mind he slowly turning to his brother, his mood changing drastically at the one who had caused the mess.

"Vash" Knives gritted dangerously, making the gunman hold up his hands in defense.

"Oh, come on bro," Vash argued, laughing nervously. "I was only kidding."

The look the psychotic plant was giving the blond showed no amusement as he slowly slid from his table and approached Vash. However, Knives' addition to his body count was interrupted by a small voice.

"I think I'll go clean up" Erica said, slowly standing up and heading toward the bathroom. She shuddered as she felt the coffee sink into her clothes and slide down her face. Sometimes, she wished she could just reach out and touch someone, but the images going through her mind might be considered murder.

As soon as her footsteps died down the hall, Vash turned to Knives.

"What are you going to do with her?" he asked, his voice changing to his rare serious tone. "I mean, I might be able to talk to her and find out what happened to help, at least find out her name" Vash commented dryly, looking toward his sibling with disapproval only to be ignored. "But then what?"

"What can I do but keep her?" Knives answered somewhat sullenly, glaring at where the filth had left. "The plant angels won't even let me throw her out of the ship, much less destroy her."

With those words Vash was silently jumping around in excitement like an overactive pogo stick. Maybe she would be able to change him, possibly show Knives that humans weren't the monsters he made them out to be. At least, the blond gunman hoped such a miracle would, or could, happen.

"Don't be so excited, Vash!" Knives growled, once more slamming his fist onto the already dented table. "I am only keeping her until I can find a way to reverse the process, and learn how to avoid future situations like this."

Vash stood at rigid attention, barely controlling the smile itching to burst forth.

Several days later Knives sat at his computer panel rubbing his temple in aggravation, still troubled by Vash's remark in the kitchen. _Him, _the killer of millions and self-declared annihilator of the human race, related to a female spider? He was truly beginning to doubt his decision of bringing his brother to the ship. First searching half the planet to find him, then the mad chase in the town which had nearly got them both killed, and finally his brother's incessant fawning over the girl.

True, the strange looks she gave Vash were amusing, but the sight of his brother following her down the hall like a lost puppy was degrading. He doubted spiders acted so foolishly. Also, because of his sibling's endless blabbering, he had been forced to memorize the abomination's name, Erica, to the point of near insanity.

Knives, for his part, had returned to ignoring the female, or whatever she chose to call herself. He would have nothing to do with her, taking his meals alone in his bedroom or control room. Vash had argued against such behavior but the plant had insisted upon his actions, attempting himself to physically distance the blond gunman from the filth without success.

Well, at least Vash hadn't been spouting his 'love and peace' nonsense. He had also been able to learn how the female had become the strange plant-spider hybrid she now was, though the transference mentioned by the filth was still a mystery to the brothers.

Then was Knives rudely shoved from his thoughts by Vash suddenly entering the computer room, a disapproving expression on his face.

"What is it now, Vash?" Knives asked, skipping the usual pleasantries his brother insisted upon

After a moment's hesitation, with a curiously evil smirk on his face, Vash asked his question.

"Don't you think you should be treating your new niece with a little more kindness?"

"Listen, dear brother" Knives growled, grinning widely as Vash's gulp could be heard throughout the entire ship, "I am not related to any pathetic spider, changed or not." Then he leant back in his chair thoughtfully, closing his eyes in concentration. "Besides, if I am able to find how the female changed then she will not be related to us for very long."

"Have you tried asking the plants about Erica's change?" Vash asked idly, his eyes lazily looking over the computer screens.

Knives' eyes shot open and he stared at his sibling dumbly, realizing the simplicity in retrieving the information. He'd been scouring the computers for days with never a thought to the angels not more than a few hundred feet from him.


	11. Insanity

A/N: My chapters are getting longer, which I hope is a good thing. Thanks to my readers and reviewers!

Insanity

Knives immediately jumped up from his chair and strode past the amused Vash, headed toward the plant room intent on finding answers. On the way he silently berated himself for being so blind. The angels were older than Vash and him so there was a possibility of them knowing about experiments not found in the computers' databases.

As he entered the Plant room, Knives frustratingly saw that someone was already there. Erica was resting against the center bulb which housed her favorite of the angels, her eyes closed and a small smile on her face.Moving closer, he realized she was asleep.

_Damn that spider, does she never leave the plants alone? _he wondered angrily, annoyed by the interruption of his planned interrogation and by her constant interaction with his sisters. Walking up to the filth, he was about to yell at her when he noticed the water glistening in her hair. She'd apparently washed before coming and was clothed in only her bathrobe, her one corner slipped and revealing a bare shoulder. Her skin glowed with the warmth from the hot water she'd used, giving her the appearance of a real angel.

Erica must have sensed his presence, for her eyes slowly opened and she blinked sleepily at the blond maniac. She jerked her head up as she comprehended whom she saw only to meet his intense, stony gaze. They stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity, both lost in the sky blue color they shared.

Suddenly Knives angrily realized what he was doing. Snapping back to attention, he grew angry with himself and the female for indulging in such foolish actions. "Spider, leave" he order, stepping up to the bulb she still leaned against. "I have some questions to ask my sisters."

Erica huffed at his commanding tone, but stood silently and exited the room. As soon as the doors had closed behind her, Knives turned to the five angels who had emerged from the depths of their bulbs. His hopes of finding answers were quickly dashed as the center angel spoke to him, having read his thoughts.

"_We know what you have come for, brother"_ she spoke, shaking her head sadly._ "I am sorry. We cannot give you the answers you seek. Our daughter is as much a mystery to us as she is to you."_

Erica, meanwhile, had leaned against a wall down the hall, wondering about the look her captor had given her. He had stared at her so strangely, and then rudely shoved her out of the room. _He could at least have explained himself _she thought, confused and insulted by his abrupt change in attitude. _When he comes out, I'll just have to question him. If I make him angry he doesn't have his gun, so at least he can't shoot me_ she surmised dryly.

She was jerked out of her thoughts by Knives exiting the Plant room, looking somewhat dejected and frustrated. He glanced in her direction, then began to walk away from her without a word. Erica opened her mouth to call out to him, but was checked by a sudden revelation. She realized she didn't know the psycho's name. Vash had never spoken his name in front of her, and the angels called him only 'brother'.

Erica caught up to him halfway down the hall. "Excuse me, um, sir" she said, unsure of how to address him. "I...I haven't caught your name."

"So?" Knives asked, turning toward her with an icy glare. He wondered what the spider was up to, partly because no one had ever asked his name before. The few filth he had dealt with had always called him 'master', and Vash and the angels already knew his name.

"Well, I don't know what to call you" Erica stated plainly, scuffing her shoe along the floor in embarrassment at not having asked earlier. "Since we're stuck with each other, I just thought we could at least know each other's names."

"No" he said, still giving her a suspicious look.

"Oh come on" she argued, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's not like I'm going to use the information against you. Here, I'll even give you my full name first, just to show you. It's Erica Sebastion" she spoke with some pride, then gave the man a smile. "Now, what's yours?"

Knives stared at the girl for a moment, finally deciding there was no harm in telling her since she could not leave to tell anyone else.

"Knives" he said gruffly, inwardly grimacing for having given in to her question.

"Knives" Erica repeated slowly, suppressing a snicker. "You mean like the eating utensil?" she asked, starting to laugh at the hilarious comparison.

Knives' mouth went slack jawed. He couldn't believe she was mocking his name, much less laughing at her inane joke before him. However, this spider, this _female_ spider, was doing just that.

With this last indiscretion Knives couldn't take the spider anymore. First she had been disobedient and uncooperative toward his commands, and now she was mocking his name! He suddenly growled and lunged for her, grabbing her arms. Erica screamed and pulled out of his grasp, attempting to turn and flee. However, he fell on top of her, pushing her to the ground with his weight.

As they wrestled along the floor, Knives was vexed to find that the girl's strength was almost equal to his own. He was having a difficult time holding her wrists and she was kicking and biting him without mercy. Knives finally managed to seat himself on top of her and pin her arms above her head, a triumphant smile on his face.

At that moment Vash decided to make his appearance from around a corner. Stopping dead in his tracks, he stared at the compromising position Knives and Erica were in. A small smile appeared on his face as he thought of the implications.

"Is this a bad moment?" Vash asked, indicating their clothing.

Knives shirt and Erica's bathrobe had both come open during the scuffle and Erica's hair was flown about. Erica's face turned a deep red, and she quickly pushed off Knives, who was also in the act of rising. His head was slammed into the floor, followed by some not so mild cursing and a few dangerous looks in Vash's direction. At that moment, he really wanted to kill his brother.

Erica brushed herself off and looked toward Knives to berate him for attacking her, but stopped in the act of speaking. She had been so busy struggling for her life, she hadn't noticed that his cap had been lost sometime during the struggle. She gaped at him, pointing a wavering finger at the top of his head.

"Knives . . . your hair..." she began, then could control herself no longer. The laughter within her exploded, leading to a homicidal look from the deranged plant.

Now, Knives knew he couldn't take his anger out on the girl because of what the angels would do to him. However there was still his sibling he needed to deal with.

"Oh brother" Knives whispered as he turned to the blond gunman, causing the hairs on the back of Vash's neck to stand on end. "I haven't cut your hair yet, have I?" he asked, raising his hand which Vash saw held a scalpel. The sharpened end glinted in the lights above.

"Come on" Vash said, slowly beginning to back away. "Can't we talk about this?"

Erica watched as the two raced down the hall, completely confident they'd both gone insane.

"Hold still, Vash!" Knives yelled, neither gaining nor losing ground in his attempt to catch his brother and wreak vengeance for his humiliation.

Erica shook her head sadly and turned around, heading toward her room for some clothes and a well deserved nap.


	12. Conspiracy

A/N: Longest chapter yet. Hope everyone likes it!

Conspiracy

Fortunately for Vash, he'd been able to hide from his sadistic sibling's vengeance. He'd emerged from under the kitchen sink around dinner time and, much to his relief, had found that Knives had returned to his usual level of insanity. Dinner was ready and on the table, steaming hot and smelling delicious. However, regardless of the food, the blond gunman had come out of hiding at a bad time.

Erica and Knives were eating at the table, she having made dinner during the siblings' 'game' of tag. Now the two were talking in the kitchen even as Vash slunk out of the cabinet, having a heated discussion about the responsibility of caring for the three. Knives, the naive plant he was, had ordered the female to cook for them during her stay. However, the girl had adamantly refused, leading to an exchange of glares and words.

"Drink water, eat food, and let the woman do all the work, just like a man" Erica argued angrily through mouthfuls even as Vash sat quietly in his chair.

Knives' head, previously busy digging into the filth's food eagerly, snapped back and he nearly choked on his food. He fixed his stare on Erica, shaking with anger at her comparing _him_ to a human.

"I am not a man" he growled, realizing too late his mistake.

Erica smirked evilly, leaning forward toward the plant. Knives had walked right into her trap.

"So you're not a man" Erica asked, her eyes full of mischief. "Then are you a coward?"

"That's not what I meant and you know that!" Knives exclaimed, angry that she'd mocked him once more.

As Erica and Knives continued to fight, Vash watched them with a hidden smile. He was reminded of an old married couple as the two squabbled, the girl shaking her fork at his sibling while Knives growled in frustration. Sadly, Erica appeared to be winning while the other plant was now grumbling quite sullenly into what remained of his food.

However, Vash was bothered by something as he watched the two bicker, a small frown appearing on his face. There had been no improvement in their relationship since he'd arrived, and the blond gunman knew he hadn't helped. So far he'd only been able to bungle any further plans by interrupting the two, especially when they had the interesting outcome for their wrestling argument in the hallway. He had to figure out how to he get them alone together, at least for a while.

Then a sudden idea struck him, one which couldn't fail if carried out correctly.

A look so devilish crossed Vash's face that Erica and Knives stopped their arguing to stare at him for a moment. Noticing their shocked expressions, Vash smiled goofily. He'd have to be careful about how he acted or they may grow suspicious, ruining his fool-proof plan. Also, he would need some help...

A few days later found the three sitting among the trees in the arboretum, all enjoying the beauty. Suddenly, Vash brought up the subject of the ship's size and the possibility of Erica getting lost in the vast interior. Vash mentioned that maybe Knives could take her for a tour, seeing as how the girl had only yesterday become lost while looking for the storage of food.

Erica for her part thought the idea was great, but Knives was less than thrilled. Actually, he absolutely refused the idea, asking Vash if he had any intelligent thought left in his head. The blond pretended not to notice the question and focused on persuading his brother to take her.

"Come on Knives, what's the harm in you showing her the ship?" Vash coaxed, poking his brother affectionately. "I mean, we wouldn't want anyone to get lost, especially Erica. And the angels would be very upset if we couldn't find her" he added, knowing his brother dreaded a confrontation with their sisters.

For a moment Knives merely glared at his brother, slightly vexed at the truth Vash spoke. Finally he inwardly sighed, condemning himself to the demeaning and annoying job.

"Fine" Knives finally muttered, rising to his feet. "But I have some ground rules for the spider" he added, turning toward Erica. "If you wish to know what the rooms are for, read the labels next to the doors. If you fall behind, you are on your own. And finally, no questions!"

"Fine" Erica responded agreeably, expecting this type of childish behavior from Knives. She was just happy to now avoid becoming lost again, eagerly standing up and following the plant out of the room.

Erica followed Knives silently through the corridors, pausing only long enough to read some of the door labels. After several hours of touring they finally reached the farthest depths of the ship, which suited Erica just fine since her feet were now paining her. Passing by a door which looked like the others, Erica suddenly forgot her discomfort as she noticed a noise coming from behind the door.

"Um, Knives? I think I hear some crackling in this room." Erica said hesitantly as she pointed toward the room, not sure if her hearing was correct.

"I said no questions!" Knives hissed, perturbed at the unnecessary delay. He turned to look back and saw with annoyance that she had stopped in front of one of the doors.

"That wasn't a question, it was a statement!" she yelled back, crossing her arms over her chest in a perfect parody of Knives. "And there's still something wrong in that room."

Knives, if merely to humor the abomination's foolishness, listened for a moment and suddenly heard what she'd been talking about. There was a crackling noise, like an electrical wire had snapped. If so, the wire may send sparks onto any nearby equipment if not taken care of, possibly causing a fire.

"Step back, spider" Knives ordered, shoving her aside and pressing the entry code numbers into the side panel. The door flung open and he entered, Erica following close behind. Taking a quick look around, he recognized the room as a storage area. Knives quickly searched for the source of the noise, not wanting the delay to last very long.

Entering the room, Erica looked around curiously at all the large boxes, wondering what they held. She walked over to one of them, looking for any markings which would tell her what was inside. Finding nothing to tell her, she cautiously opened the lid and was surprised to see food covered by a blanket.

Meanwhile, Knives had found what he'd expected behind one of the storage boxes. One of the electrical panels had opened and a wire was flopping noisily on the ground. He was about to disconnect the power when the lights suddenly flickered and faded out, his head snapping up in irritation. The electrical coil stopped moving and he could see the other wires in the panel darken. The entire room had lost power.

_What did she touch!_ Knives thought angrily._ What did that idiot do! _Erica grumbled to herself as she shut the lid.

With the lights now extinguished, both turned to each other angrily while the near total darkness at first prevented the two from finding each other. However, their eyes quickly became accustomed to the dim light, with assistance from the life support system signals dotting the room's ceiling. The accusing faces showed plainly that they were both blaming the other for having caused the sudden loss of power.

In reality the situation was Vash's doing. Bringing the angels into the conspiracy, he had managed, with their help, to shut down power to that portion of the ship. Only life support and the monitoring system were still connected, meaning the ventilation system was still working and he could still watch them from the control room. However, the doors were locked shut, and Vash knew even Knives couldn't force them open.

Seeing each other's faces as their eyes adapted completely, or as best as they could to the light, both realized the other was as shocked as they were.

"Knives, what just happened?" Erica asked quietly, taking a step toward him as she looked at the shadows surrounding them.

"All electricity has somehow been cut off" Knives stated calmly, walking over to the entrance. "With the power gone, the doors won't respond to my code" he commented, not noticing the horror stricken look on Erica's face. "They have been specifically programmed to lock when the power shuts down. The idea was to trap intruders who had boarded the ship, not us."

"Can't you use your higher plant intelligence to figure something out?" Erica said more sarcastically then she meant to. She was beginning to feel panic with being trapped in the darkened room with the only exit sealed.

"Listen, spider" Knives growled, turning his back on her. "There is nothing we can do from inside this room. We can only wait until the power comes back or Vash finds us. Now be quiet" he commanded as he walked to a corner of the room and sat on top of a box.

Erica pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation as she walked to another box and seated herself on the container. She turned her back away from the sullen plant, huffing to herself about his uncaring attitude.

Vash, watching them by way of the cameras, was dismayed that his plan wasn't working. The two were now sitting as far away from each other as possible, and both apparently refused to discuss their differences. He would have to resort to plan B to encourage their 'bonding'. He began to adjust the climate control, causing the air temperature to steadily drop.

"Stupid plant boy" Erica muttered, bringing her knees against her chest. "All that ego and not one lick of brains. Even humans aren't as egotistic as he is."

Unfortunately, she'd spoken too loud and Knives was able to hear her.

"Don't insult me, spider!" he yelled from the other side of the room. "Both human genders are alike, feeding off each other and my sisters. Humans are nothing more than weeds, multiplying without care."

"But I'm not human anymore either" she said quietly, her tone and words snapping Knives out of his anger. "I don't know what I am, and I'll probably never find out."

"I doubt that, spider" Knives said slowly, taken off guard by her sudden sadness. Even he had to grudgingly admit she was now an angel, whether he liked the idea or not. "Your life-span has been lengthened quite a bit. Sooner or later the truth will be discovered" he stated, though he silently hoped it would be sooner rather than later. "I myself am one hundred and fifty years old."

"You're joking!" Erica exclaimed, her head snapping up and turning to Knives. "No one can live that long!"

Suddenly Erica shivered, rubbing her arms. She wondered why the air was becoming so cold all of a sudden.

Knives noticed the spider's sudden change in comfort and saw her breath when she breathed. He stood up and looked around quickly, walking over to one of the walls. The moisture along the walls was freezing, becoming icicles before his eyes. The temperature was dropping steadily, and there was no way they could stop it. Erica, meanwhile, remembering the blanket she had noticed in the container, quickly jumped off her box and retrieved the cloth.

"Are there any other blankets in the boxes, spider?" Knives asked, his tone just below that of an order.

"No" Erica said, horror written upon her face as she stared at the single blanket within her arms.

Vash chuckled as he watched their reactions in the comfortable control room, leaning back and waiting for his sibling to come to the obvious conclusion. Mentally he patted himself on the back for having been thorough in leaving only one blanket for between the two of them.

Knives ran their options through his brain, coming to only one horrible, inescapable conclusion.

"We must use our combined body heat to keep alive."

"What?" Erica asked, hoping she'd heard incorrectly. If her ears were working fine, she didn't like where his words were leading.

"It's the only way we'll survive" he said through chattering teeth. The prospect of being in contact with her was revolting to him, but the temperature was continuing to drop. Even their plant bodies, which were capable of surviving extreme weather conditions, were starting to freeze. His hands had become blue with the lack of heat and he could see that Erica was in the same situation.

"The thought of touching you is as degrading to you as it is to me" Knives stated through gritting teeth, both because of his words and the continuing drop in temperature. "However, we have no other choice."

Erica sighed in defeat and walked over to Knives, cautiously sitting down next to him. She handed the plant half of the blanket while she took the other, being careful not to touch him unnecessarily. Unfortunately for the two, they found that the blanket was too small to cover both of them and they looked at each other in horror.

A sudden idea struck Erica, though she inwardly shivered at the thought.

"Um, I could sit in your lap" Erica suggested hesitantly, knowing Knives would object.

Her thoughts were well founded as she watched Knives cringe slightly. However, to her surprise he didn't argue against her plan. Instead, Erica watched stunned as he situated himself on one of the boxes.

"Come on, do not merely stand there" Knives said curtly, gesturing for her to climb into his lap.

"You're serious?" she asked, still hesitant about his sincerity.

"As I have said before, we have no other choice" Knives spoke in an annoyed tone. "Now move quickly before I change my mind and take the blanket from you."

Erica carefully climbed into his lap, careful not to touch him more than was necessary. When they had both gotten into relatively comfortable positions, considering the situation, Knives glared down at Erica.

"Never tell this to anyone, spider, or you will regret not holding your tongue."

"Agreed" Erica muttered, feeling too drowsy to argue. The sudden warmth of their bodies was making her sleepy, and she could barely keep her eyes open.

Knives suddenly felt as the spider's head rested on his chest and looked down to yell at her. However, his outburst was stopped by the fact that she was asleep. _Bold little spider _he thought, closing his eyes and feeling himself also fall into sleep.

After Vash was sure they had both fallen asleep, he decided now was the perfect time to slowly bring back the power and return the room temperature to normal. His plan had worked out perfectly, and maybe, just maybe, they would be friendlier toward each other. Hopefully now the two would never figure out who had really caused the blackout, or his health would be seriously compromised.


	13. Emotions

A/N: More chapters for the growing collection. I have no idea when I'll end the story, either. Thanks as always to my readers and especially the reviewers!!!

Emotions

When Erica awoke some time later, she was at first confused by her surroundings. Moving slightly, she was surprised to feel a moving warmth against her back. Staring up, she gasped at she looked into the face of the psycho.

Knives was still in sleep, his head resting against a large tall stack of storage boxes. She was struck with how closely he resembled his angelic sisters. She realized his arms were wrapped around her almost protectively, and she blushed at the closeness of their bodies.

Lifting herself away from his chest, she noticed the room was no longer freezing. Seeing that the lights above were back on, she wondered if the power to the door mechanism had also returned.

Erica was afraid to move too much, for fear she would disturb Knives. But how else would she free herself. So gathering her courage, she lifted her free right arm and began to roughly shake one of his shoulders.

With a loud snort, Knives awakened to a startling sight. Here he was, voluntarily sitting with a human girl in his lap. And his arms were wrapped around her.

With a violent push, he shoved her off his lap. Erica hit the ground with a resounding thud, making her yelp in pain.

"What was that for?!" she yelled, rubbing her now bruised backside.

"Filthy abomination! Keep your soiled hands to yourself!" he yelled back, disgusted for having touched her more than was necessary.

"You sure don't like to blame yourself for your actions, do you?! If you want to know, you're the one who wrapped them around me! You should apologize for such conduct, filthy plant boy!"

"I never apologize" he said calmly, gaining control over his emotions. Standing up and looking about the room, he observed that the lights were once more on. Meaning the doors to freedom would be blessedly open.

Walking quickly to the entrance, Knives pressed the hand pad and was relieved to see the doors slide open. He exited the room without another word, leaving Erica to find her way back to the familiar portion of the ship.

"You jerk!" Erica yelled after him. After the doors had closed behind him, she slumped to the ground.

A few hours later, Knives found himself sitting at his large computer consul. Strangely, he wasn't paying any attention to the many flashing screens showing the data output on the ship's condition. His mind was distracted by that girl. He couldn't stop thinking of her warm body pressed to his, nor the way she'd looked so comfortable in his lap. He started remembering when she'd emerged from the plant bulb, the shape and curves of her body. And as the doors to the room suddenly opened, he realized matters were about to get much worse.

Meanwhile, after Knives had left her stranded, Erica had luckily found her way back to her bedroom. After saying a quick hello to Vash, she'd snatched a sandwich from the kitchen and began wandering the ship. Having the psycho as a guide had been too unreliable for her tastes, so she'd decided to memorize on her own the many rooms and corridors.

Having already learned a great portion of the ship during her stay, Erica went exploring into the lesser known depths of the large compound. Walking along one of the many hallways, she stumbled upon a corridor described by Knives as being the 'keep out' part of the ship. As usual, there was no explanation nor reason for being forbidden from the area. Maybe she'd just sneak a peak, what could it hurt?

Exploring the few corridors in this section of the ship, she found little to interest her. There were very few rooms, and most of those were only used for storage. She did notice some comfortable living quarters, much nicer than the ones she now occupied. Maybe Knives would allow her to change rooms, if she could only find him in a pleasant enough mood.

Suddenly Erica heard several noises coming from a room she hadn't entered yet. Creeping closer, she wondered if Knives was in there. Finding another of those hand panels beside the door, she pressed her own on the pad and watched the door open. Her excitement at seeing the door open was quickly eliminated as she gazed at who was in the room.

Erica was the last person on the planet Knives wanted to see right now. She had also disobeyed his orders in coming into this room, which added fuel to his already angered state of mind.

"Filthy spider!" he screamed, rising from his chair. "I had told you never to enter this area!"

"I, um, I'm sorry" Erica stuttered, standing frozen in the doorway. She wasn't sure whether to run or enter. But by the looks Knives was giving, she supposed entering would be hazardous to her health.

"You are never to go beyond the ship's main areas" Knives growled, walking toward her. "That means only your bedroom, the kitchen, the arboretum and the Plant room. If you disobey my orders once more" he threatened, grabbing hold of her shoulders and crushing them painfully. "I will personally destroy everything you hold dear." He shoved her ruthlessly against the corridor's wall, and proceeded to sit back down in his chair.

Eric knew she was now expected to leave, but was intent on having the last word. She didn't know why she teased Knives so mercilessly, maybe to pay him back for his own torture toward her. And a little payback for rudely shoving her away.

"You know, you should marry your computer" she said suddenly, a mischievous smile crossing her face. Erica knew she would be walking a thin line in teasing him this badly, but she was too angry and hurt to care.

"What?!" Knives exclaimed, confused and startled by her statement.

"Yeah, you've dated her long enough and let's face it, you're both so much alike."

"What do you mean?" he growled, his eyes narrowing with anger.

"You're both cold, lifeless, and have a few screws loose."

Vash, searching for his brother, suddenly heard a wild howling of laughter from down the hall. Erica appeared around the corner, trying to laugh and run at the same time, and succeeding very well. On her heels came Knives, yelling every human obscenity he could remember. As Knives passed by him, Vash couldn't help but smile at the sudden thought that had struck him.

"Geez, Knives, can't you keep your hands off of her."

The homicidal maniac formerly known as Knives stopped in his tracks.

"Vash, if you wish to see your precious spider ever again, I suggest you stay out of this."

Vash held up his hands defensively, while nodding his head in understanding. He knew more talk would only provoke the beast before him. Vash quietly watched Knives continue his pursuit, his expression changing to worry when his brother was out of sight. _Something's bothering him, and Erica made matters worse. _

Meanwhile, Erica had been able, with Vash distracting Knives, to gain some distance from the plant. Unfortunately, she now found herself at the corridor which led outside the ship. She had only two options. To turn around and retrace her steps might prove fatal if she was found by the psycho. He really meant to kill her this time, and it was all her fault, too.

But could she hide outside? _Well, only one way to find out_ she thought.

Knives, followed the sounds of her echoing footsteps as long as he could. A sick smile on his face, he started off in the direction of the ship's entrance. Reaching the metal entry, he pressed his hand to the pad and watched the doors slide open. Surprise filled Knives' face at the sight before him.

He saw Erica kneeling near the entrance, her whole attention focused on something she held. Approaching the girl cautiously, he saw that she held in her arms a striped bundle of fur. The cat was half starved, and dehydrated from over exposure to the sun. Knives could almost see the beast's ribs. Clumps of the cat's fur had fallen out, leaving patches of exposed skin. Someone had cruelly left the poor animal in the middle of the desert, in the hopes of killing the feline.

"What are you doing?" he said, somewhat subdued by Erica's stillness. "Leave the beast and come back inside. If the angels found you had left the ship on my account, they would possibly destroy the compound in their fury."

"I won't leave the poor creature to die out here" she said, quiet determination in her voice. "I want to keep him." Erica didn't bother looking at him as she spoke, knowing he would not agree with her appeal.

Knives stared at the pitiful cat, trying to decide on the best course of action. His thoughts were interrupted by the door opening behind him, and he groaned inwardly at the sight of his brother walking out.

"Hey, what are you two doing out her . . . " Vash's sentence trailed off as he noticed the feline in Erica's lap. "Wow, what a nice kitty, is he yours Erica?"

Erica stared at the blond gunman for a moment, then smiled and nodded her head vigorously.

"Well, then what is he doing outside. He looks kinda hungry. I think we still have some donuts from breakfast."

Before Knives knew what had happened, Vash, Erica and the cat had walked into the ship, leaving him outside by himself.


	14. Family

A/N: More fun for me and more torture for Knives. Thanks to all my readers and reviewers, especially Ajd262!!!

Family

Vash was given the honors of naming the feline, and he spared no amount of thought to what he came up with. He made the announcement later that day, during dinner.

"His name will be LouisNicholasDonovanSamuelTheodosiusMichelangelo the second."

Both Erica and Knives stared at him, mouths open in surprise. Their utensils were positioned in midair, forgotten for the moment. Both were stunned that he could say such a long name in one breath.

"Vash, was sort of stupid name is that?" Knives asked, once more surprised by his brother's idiocy.

Vash's face turned into a pout, but Erica patted him on the back. "It's, um, definitely an interesting name." He perked up at her attempted compliment, jumping up to help with the dishes.

Pussy, as Erica fondly nicknamed the feline, quickly made himself a permanent resident of the ship. Since there were no rodents to busy himself with, the cat was free to live the life of a lounger. So during the first days of Pussy's transition to domestic life, he mostly roamed the ship. Unfortunately for Knives, that meant Pussy would show up everywhere. Including his computer chair.

Exploring the more personal areas of the ship got him into trouble with Knives, particularly when he found the beast sleeping on his bed. Of course, any time he attempted to shove the cat aside, Pussy would leave a long gash across Knives' hand. The feline seemed intent on making his life as difficult as possible. Which, luckily, kept the psycho plant from doing his work, thereby doing a favor to humanity. The paranoid plant began to suspect that Erica purposefully had made him a target for the feline.

More than once Knives wished he could just shoot the animal and be done with it, but Vash or Erica always came to the feline's defense. It seemed he was slowly losing control of his ship to the three visitors. Something needed to be done before they started redecorating everything.

Searching out his brother, Knives found Vash sitting idly at the kitchen table. The setting sun could be seen through the sky light in the ceiling, giving natural light. He settled down opposite him, consciously wondering if the furry beast were lying in wait for him.

Watching Knives settle himself across from him, Vash knew what his brother had come to talk to him about. He was as easy to read as a book. He was well aware how Knives loved having total control over everything, and the arrival and subsequent adoption of the cat had gone against his wishes. A sudden thought struck him, one that could maybe create enough of a distraction to avoid the confrontation.

Knives watched with amazement as Vash pulled out from under the table a large, weather beaten bag, looking almost as old as them. His eyes narrowed as he watched his brother spill the contents onto the table. A box of donuts and a large bottle of alcohol appeared, two human creations he passionately hated.

"Vash, what are you planning?" Knives asked suspiciously. He knew his brother wasn't a complete idiot, and believed Vash knew more than what he let on. Knives also suspected the incident in the cargo bay was his brother's doing, but couldn't prove anything. The records in the computer told him nothing. Possibly because the angels had erased all the proof of their conspiracy.

Vash quickly stuffed the donuts back into the bag, not willing to part with them, and held up the bottle instead. Knives then realized what he planned and began objecting at once.

"No, Vash. I will not drink any of that vile liquid. It's humiliating enough to see you intoxicated without joining in the imbecilic action."

"Come on, Knives. A few drinks won't hurt." His pleading eyes with their cuteness almost made Knives puke.

"Fine, Vash. I'll have a few. But later, we have to talk." He agreed only to make his brother stop looking so disgusting.

Vash nodded his head rapidly, only too glad to distract his unstable brother. Standing up and retrieving two glasses from the cupboard, he set them down on the kitchen table. They both looked up when Erica entered the room.

"Hey Vash, what are you doing?" she asked innocently, not noticing the glares coming from the sadistic plant. However, his stare wasn't aimed at Erica, but the cat she held in her arms. Knives scowled at the beast snuggled against the abomination, receiving a similar expression from the feline.

"Um, am I interrupting something?" she asked, noticing for the first time the bottle of alcohol and glasses on the table.

"No, wanna join us?" Vash asked enthusiastically, trying to catch his brother's eye away from the offending feline.

"Sure, I'll have some" she answered hesitantly, not sure if having a few drinks with mankind's destroyer and mankind's first natural disaster was the smartest thing to do. But she sat at the table, sitting between the two polar opposite brothers. Pussy slipped off her lap and left the room, as if leaving them to their fate.

Vash grabbed the bottle and poured a glass for each of them, having retrieved another for Erica. After everyone had received their mug, he raised his in a toast.

"Cheers" he yelled, and proceeded to drink his glass quickly, while the other two joined in rather reluctantly.

Several hours later, the two plant brothers were pasted beyond imagination, having drained the first bottle and dived into several others Vash had miraculously produced from his bag. But somehow they were both still sitting up, with refilled glasses before them.

"Come on, Erica, wanna try some more" Vash said, his speech being so slurred she was having trouble understanding him.

Erica looked at him doubtfully, realizing she had been wise to drink her refreshment slowly.

"I think not, Vash. You two need someone to watch over you. Especially Knives" she stated, watching him down an entire glass in less than ten seconds.

The aforementioned plant would have been insulted with the insinuation, had he been sober enough to notice it. Vash shrugged and went back to draining his own mug as quickly as he could.

Erica sighed, and watched with resignation as the two drank dallon after dallon of alcohol.

Late the next morning, Knives groggily awoke with the largest headache he could remember ever having. His last memory was of sitting at the table with what seemed like the thirtieth glass of beer in front of him. Now he was lying in his bed, with the sun shining through the open window. The bright light burned his eyes with its intensity, so he threw the covers over himself and mentally berated himself for his foolishness.

He heard the door creak open and carefully peaked his over the bed sheets, careful to avoid direct exposure from the sunlight. He saw Erica's head, peering shyly into the room.

Finding he was conscious, she walked cautiously into the room. "I heard some groaning, so I thought you might be awake. Sorry you're not in your own bed" she said, her arms sweeping about the quarters. "I, um, I didn't know where your bedroom was." She failed miserably to hide her blushing cheeks, knowing her words could be taken for something else.

At her words, Knives for the first time noticed that the bed room he was in really wasn't his. Turning his head he saw a twin bed situated next to his. He could see a lump under the covers, and assumed that Vash hadn't yet risen either.

"What happened?" he muttered, clutching his pounding head.

"You two passed out after the fifty-sixth game of strip poker" she said, still wondering from where Vash had produced the pack of cards. "I managed to drag both of you to Vash's room. You're both heavier then you look, you know that? Well, I better make you two some breakfast, and some strong coffee."

Erica walked toward the door, but suddenly stopped after she grabbed the knob. "Oh, and Knives" he looked up at her through clouded eyes. "You have no luck at cards."

Knives' eyes widened with shock, and Erica smiled wickedly as she shut the door behind her, leaving the plant with more information then he cared to remember. That is, if he could remember last night.

Walking down the hall toward the kitchen, Erica recalled all the fun she'd had last night. Vash throwing up in the corner, Knives passed out on the kitchen table with Pussy using his back as a scratching post, and she acting like the older sister by putting them to bed. For the first time in a long while, she felt like part of a family. It seemed like so long ago when her grandmother had died, leaving her all alone. It was a strange family she was now with, but that didn't bother her one bit.


	15. Trouble

A/N: I changed my story update day to Sunday. Another interesting chapter, but with less humor and more romance. Hope everyone likes it!!!

Trouble

Knives arose some hours later, grumbling about his idiot sibling and his foolish human beverages. He would have throttled some sense into the sleeping form in the other bed, but he just couldn't stay mad at Vash for very long. After all, he was his only sibling, his brother.

Still battling his massive headache, he dressed himself and started toward the kitchen. Knives doubted he'd be able to eat much, but knew he needed something to distract his aching body.

Knives groaned inwardly when he entered the kitchen. Erica stood before the cupboards, shaking her head and making disapproving noises. He half expected her to be with the angels, bothering them with her pointless thoughts, but he supposed she wanted to torture him instead. And he still couldn't kill her for it.

Erica turned at hearing the scraping of the chair, and immediately faced her head toward the floor. Knives was puzzled by her strange behavior, but brushed it off as her foolish emotions.

"Knives, we have a problem" Erica said quietly, peeking her eyes high enough to notice his wander to the closed cupboards.

"What?" Knives asked suspiciously, wondering what nonsense she had to tell him. Her talking was interrupting his raid of the kitchen.

"I know you go to a town. And right now, it would be a good idea to go shopping for food." She waited for the expected denial, which was quick in coming.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Knives said, any signs of lying masked by his indifferent expression.

"Then what's this?" she asked, holding up a brand name can of tuna fish. An empty can, of course. "You forget that I do most of the cooking."

Faced with the evidence, Knives nearly relented. But his stubborn streak wouldn't allow a human, much less a female, to get the upper hand. He abruptly rose and walked over to Erica, towering over her small frame.

Erica's face showed no alarm at neither Knives' menacing stance nor his refusal. Rather, her attention was on something else. She suddenly edged closer to him and looked uneasily at the kitchen door. Knives was surprised by her sudden change of mood and took a step back from her, wondering what had brought upon the turn.

"There are no donuts left for Vash" she whispered. She suspected the blond menace to be hidden around the corner, listening in on their conversation. It was a silly paranoia, but one she couldn't shake.

Sadly, her fears were well grounded, as the gunman appeared in the doorway a second later. The look on his face was one of horror and disbelief. He ran into the kitchen and began flinging open all the cupboards and drawers, searching for the precious sugary food. His search was to no avail, and he nearly crawled toward the two standing shocked at the table.

"Knives, you're going shopping today, aren't you?" He wore a large smile, one which was painful for even Erica to look at. His eyes were so full of begging that Knives could feel the bile rising in his throat. The lack of donuts had obviously made his personality take a turn for the worst. And Vash's worst was now terrifying the other occupants of the ship.

"Alright, Vash. We're going" Knives said, relenting to the sickening sight before him. Knives had never been so scared of his brother as he was then. Watching Vash's outburst made him realize the importance of going to town. As in today. Right now.

Erica had also watched Vash's emotional explosion in shock. His craving for donuts was worse than any caffeine addict she'd ever seen.

"Yes!!" Vash yelled ecstatically, making the other's flinch in fear.

Vash helped them to the car, or rather, shoved the couple into the mysteriously waiting automobile outside. Almost as if he'd planned this trip from the very beginning. He practically threw Erica into the passenger seat and was having a tough time 'coaxing' his brother behind the wheel.

"Wait!" Knives yelled, before being slammed into the driver's seat. "Aren't you coming?!"

Erica also suddenly realized what Vash was planning, and made a break for the ship. She was nearly able to escape, but the sugar deprived gunman saw her movement. Slamming the door on his brother's side, he managed to beat her to the ship's entrance and drag her back. She was quickly shoved into her seat, the force of the push nearly making her head slam into Knives' lap.

"No, someone has to keep care of the ship while you two are gone." With a wave, Vash quickly ran back into the ship and shut the door. Knives and Erica heard the electric lock activate, and both knew the door would not open until they returned with his precious donuts.

On the car ride to the nearest town, Erica barely looked at Knives. She hadn't been able to look him squarely in the face all morning, except when he'd been in bed covered in sheets. Her thoughts kept wandering back to last night, and the fifty-six games of strip poker. Erica had declined to play, but the psychotic plant had not been so fortunate. In fact, he'd managed to lose every single game to the outrageously lucky Vash.

And when he lost, he had removed every stitch of clothing. Even when Erica had protested he hadn't needed to, Knives had still insisted. He'd said something to her about pride having to be honored or such, as if pride involved stripping naked in front of her.

_Of course_, she reminded herself, _your conduct last night had been less than civilized_. The first time he'd stripped, she hadn't been able to tear her eyes away from him. His body was, for lack of a better word, perfect. Perfectly toned, perfectly formed, and perfectly proportional. Everything.

_Clean out your thoughts!_ she mentally yelled to herself, shaking her head from side to side.

Knives suddenly swerved, nearly running off the road. Erica gripped the dashboard, trying to keep herself from screaming. The plant boy quickly regained control of the steering wheel, and they were once more on the safe and solid road.

"Will you keep your thoughts down?!" Knives yelled at her, keeping his attention fixed on the road.

"You heard me?" she asked curiously, wondering if they could speak to each via telepathy like she did with the angels.

"Yes, now keep your thoughts quiet. I don't want to hear any more of what you have to think."

Arriving at a town called New Topeka, Erica got out of the car and surveyed her surroundings. The small town was like any other on Gunsmoke. Stores lined the rough main street, with the residential areas branching out. The area must have been built above a geoplant, because there was no plant but trees grew along a few of the streets.

"Get your items quickly, abomination" Knives said coldly, walking away from the vehicle toward the nearest gunsmith.

Erica was about to retort back but decided she might make a scene, and there were already enough locals gaping at her and her companion. She walked the length of the main street, finding a suitable looking general store near the end of the block. Thankfully, Knives had an account with the manager, and she didn't need to pay for anything up front.

Stepping out of the store, arms full of groceries, Erica looked around for Knives. He had locked the car, so she needed the keys. Not seeing the deranged plant, she supposed he was still playing around in the gunsmith's shop. Shrugging her shoulders in resignation, she began to walk toward the vehicle when several shadows suddenly appeared in front of her.

Now blocking her path was half a dozen rough looking men, all of whom were leering at her. They appeared to be the town's resident gang, and in the mood for some 'fun'. Growing up on the outskirts of the city of December, Erica knew exactly what 'fun' they had in store for her. And she wasn't going to stick around to join them.

Turning quickly, she slammed face first into the chest of a burly man and fell to the ground. The man before her appeared to be the leader, since the others congregated around him. Their faces were filled with mock concern at her fall, and the leader stooped to look her in the face.

"Are you all right?" he asked mockingly, while the others laughed evilly.

Erica knew she had to get out of there fast, and swung a fist at the leader's face. The blow connected, knocking him backward and allowing room for her to rise. The gang members rushed at her, intent on getting their way with the girl. Erica struck at them as each came, breaking several bones and leaving several unconscious.

Unfortunately, there were too many for even her strength to handle and she was soon overwhelmed. They dragged her into the nearest ally, one which led into a dead end. The leader, with the help of several others holding her arms and legs, managed to pin her to the ground by sitting astride her stomach, a most pleased grin on his face at their positions.

She gagged as he leaned close to her face, the stench of him making her nauseous. His breath reeked of alcohol, and he smelt like he hadn't had a bath in years.

"My, you're a feisty one." His tongue ran across her cheek, and her screams were muffled by the man's hand over her mouth. She could feel warm tears run down her face, as her mind begged for someone, something to save her. Erica closed her eyes as the man's face leaned closer. _Help me._

Suddenly she felt the weight of his body lift off of her, and Erica opened her eyes. She sat up and saw the men around her. Their eyes were bulging and the leader was slowly backing away from her. One of the gang suddenly pointed to her arm and began shouting "monster, monster" over and over again.

Erica looked at where he was pointing and gasped. She could only stare at her arm in horror, as feathers began to sprout from her skin. But that quickly changed into a grimace as a blast of pain hit her full force, and she clutched her arm in a futile attempt to stem the hurt.

Knives had been walking out of the gunsmith's shop when he'd heard Erica's mental cry for help. Sensing where she was, he arrived on the scene only moments later. The plant took in the situation quickly. Erica was surrounded by a group of ugly men, with her arm fast changing into an angel arm. She'd soon destroy them all if he didn't stop her.

Rushing to Erica's side, Knives looked around at the people surrounding them, knowing exactly what they'd planned for her. _Human filth_ he thought, his ideals only strengthened by his deductions. He returned his attention back on the girl beside him, her eyes shut in obvious pain.

"You have to stop this" he hissed to Erica, grabbing her unchanged arm roughly.

His tone and violent action only caused her more anxiety, increasing the speed of her body's change. Watching the arm's gun barrel lengthen, Knives realized there was only one way to calm her down. He'd probably regret this later, but if he didn't try, there wouldn't be a later for them.

"Calm down" Knives said, this time more soothingly. He softened his hold on her arm, and drew her close to his chest with the other. "Concentrate on the transformation. Control it."

"What is she, some sort of freak?" one of the gang members suddenly asked, terrified by her transforming body. By now a huge crowd had begun to surround them, wondering what all the commotion was for.

If Knives hadn't been so preoccupied with Erica, he would have shot the man's head off. But he was actually making progress with her changing, as he watched the arm reverse its metamorphosis. When the last traces of the angel arm had disappeared, he picked up her now unconscious body and carried her the short distance to the car. Gently placing Erica into her seat, he went back and picked up the grocery bags she'd dropped, packing them into the trunk.

Starting the engine, they started on their way back to the ship.


	16. Confusion

A/N: The chapter's a little short, but the content is definitely interesting. And to nicksama, I apologize for the loss of your sandwich (snicker). Thanks everybody!!!

Confusion

During the return trip, Knives grew worried with Erica's condition. Not once did she stir in her seat, and her breathing was irregular. He couldn't see any outward signs of injury, but thought maybe her transforming arm had caused her to go into shock. But the girl's state would be better analyzed after they arrived at the ship.

As they approached the large dome, the normally calm plant began to wish the spider beside him would make any movement. Her breathing was still abnormally fast and beads of sweat were starting to form along her brow. She might be more seriously injured than he first thought, and at the moment, Knives could do nothing to help her.

In front of the ship, Knives could see his brother standing with Pussy in his arms. They were waiting for their return, and were in for an unpleasant surprise. He parked the car as close to the entrance as possible,

"What's wrong?" Vash asked quickly, seeing his brother's pale face. He ran over to the vehicle and felt his panic rising as he watched Knives lift Erica's limp body from the seat. "What happened?"

"A group of foolish spiders attacked her. In self-preservation, Erica almost created an angel arm" Knives said, pushing past his brother and rushing into the ship toward the medical facility. Thankfully, his obsessive cleanliness had kept all areas of his home well sterilized and stocked, including the medical equipment.

Reaching the medical facility, Knives kicked open the door and quickly walked over to one of the long white beds, placing her on the soft covers. He placed his hand over her heart, feeling the organ move erratically beneath his palm.

Thankfully, Knives had read quite a bit on human anatomy, so he was able to recognize a deep state of shock. Though ironically, his initial purpose for learning medicine was not to help them. His knowledge had been meant to kill the filthy spiders, through the use of biological disease. Now here he was, using the skills to help one of the creatures he so despised.

Unfortunately, Erica had also contracted a high fever and her body temperature was quickly rising. Her body began to shake as the sickness quickly worsened, while the sheets became soaked with her sweat. Knives was glad he hadn't taken her to the angels, because the fever may have spread from her body to theirs.

Walking over to one of the many cabinets lining the walls, he found the medicine he was looking for. An injection of antibiotics was quickly administered, while Knives placed a damp towel on her forehead and prepared several more for later.

Meanwhile, Vash looked on with Pussy still in his arms. He watched the whole process calmly, trusting in his brother's ability to save Erica. He'd never seen Knives so focused, and would never have believed the reason was because a human was injured. Besides, something his brother had said was occupying most of his thoughts, especially when he saw the deranged plant's shoulders relax.

Knives breathed a sigh of relief as Erica's breathing slowed and the shaking had disappeared. Her fever was still raging, but he had a foot hold on the sickness.

"She has what humans used to call a 'brain fever'" Knives said, addressing his anxious brother. "The shock of seeing her own arm transform into a weapon was too much for her mind to comprehend, so her body was affected."

"So she'll be all right soon?" Vash asked quietly, cautiously entering the room.

"Yes" Knives said, busily checking the wet cloth on Erica's head and putting the medicine back into the cabinets.

"I wanted to ask you something, Knives."

"What?" Knives asked absently.

"Do you realize you said her name?" Vash suddenly asked, catching Knives off guard.

Knives stopped his cleaning, rethinking the words he'd said since they'd arrived back. His eyes widened in disgust and amazement when the psychotic plant realized that he had said the abomination's name. But he quickly shook his head and gave Vash a glare. "Now is not the time for such foolishness, Vash. She still has a fever, and even plants can die from disease."

Vash shrugged his shoulders and left the room, closing the door behind him. Knives returned to his work, but was interrupted by the sound of movement from the bed. Glancing over, he saw that Erica was staring around the room.

Erica looked around herself, momentarily confused as to where she was. She recalled having been attacked by a group of men, then something had happened to her arm. There had been so much pain, she thought someone was ripping her arm off. And then Knives had suddenly been by her side, and he'd made the pain go away. Then darkness, and now she was here, wherever here was.

Erica's vision was slightly unfocused, but as she looked around she managed to recognize the ship's steel ceilings. She turned her head to the side and saw Knives standing beside some cabinets, staring at her. She tried to sit up, but quickly fell back upon the pillows as her arms collapsed under her weight.

Knives strode over to the bed and grabbed her by the shoulders, stopping her from trying to rise a second time.

"Don't try to get up. You have a fever" he said briskly. Kneeling down, he picked up the wet cloth from the ground where it had fallen. Knives reached for a clean one and placed the new small cloth on her head.

"Thank you" Erica suddenly whispered, catching Knives off guard. Her voice was hoarse, and she could barely keep her eyes open to look at him.

"It was nothing" he mumbled, feeling slightly embarrassed at Erica's gratitude. He stepped away from the bed, realizing how physically close they'd been.

Giving him a small smile, Erica closed her eyes once more. Her breathing became deeper and Knives knew she was sleeping peacefully. He watched her for a few moments, observing the steady rise and fall of her chest, the small smile still on the corners of her mouth, the red tinge of her luscious lips.

Knives put his hands over his eyes, trying to mentally block out the sight of her laying there. "Those thoughts again" he grumbled to himself, slapping his forehead in frustration. He was confused by the emotions he was feeling, but her lips looked so inviting.

_What's wrong with me_ he thought to himself, honestly confused by his desires. The feeling reminded him of Rem, of how he'd cared for her before he found out the horrible truth. The truth about Tessla and what they'd done to her. But somehow, this feeling of affection was a different sort, more deep and penetrating to his emotional barrier.

Wishing for some different air, and as much space as he could put between himself and the spider, he exited the infirmary. Turning, he was surprised to see Vash leaning against the wall near the door, his eyes closed and his mouth showing a hint of a smile.

"You have feelings for her" he stated, rather than asked.

"Don't be ridiculous, Vash" Knives stuttered, his face turning red at the assumption. And the possible truth in what his brother was saying. "You're the only person I care about. The spider means nothing to me."

"So she's back to being a spider?" Vash asked quietly, pushing off from the wall. He faced Knives, giving him a careful stare.

"Knives, you have to find your own life, away from mine. I'm not trying to push you away, but we can't live like this. Hiding from everyone in this ship like frightened children, with only each other to keep us company. I can't live like that, and I don't think you can either." Vash gave his brother a sad smile, showing how painful it was for him to say those words. "Do you really want to live in this shell for the rest of your long life?"

"Shut up!" he yelled, losing his normal composure. The strain of Erica's illness and his own uncontrollable thoughts were taking their toll on his restricted emotions. "There's nothing there and there never will be! She hates me and I hate her!"

Vash gave him one last long look, and turned to leave. "That's not true, Knives. I think Erica wouldn't mind spending her life with you" Vash said over his shoulder.

Knives, too shocked by his brother's words to reply, merely watched his retreating form in silence.


	17. Truth

A/N: Definitely setting up for the more romantic aspects of the story. To ChibiSess, in the manga Vash and Knives don't need their guns to make angel arms and Tessla was their sister who was the epitome of a guinea pig. And to Rose, read nicksama's review. Thanks to everyone!!!

Truth

After the talk with his brother, Knives had wandered around the ship aimlessly. His thoughts were racing as he walked down countless corridors, the silent halls contrasting sharply with his buzzing mind. The psychotic plant could not comprehend what Vash had told him. The spider actually cared for him? The idea seemed so absurd, but for some unknown reason a part of him desperately wanted to believe that his sibling's words were true.

_Nonsense_ he told himself. What did he care about a human's affection for him? The girl was nothing more than a nuisance, someone who couldn't be trusted, much less loved.

But a small voice in his mind refused to believe what he was trying to tell himself. The human had never done anything to deserve his suspicions, nor did she earn his contempt in any way. She had mocked him on several occasions, but hadn't he done the same to her?

_Great_ he thought disgustedly. _Now I've dropped to the level of a human. And all because of that female._

Knives was going to have to do something about her, before these strange urges of his drove him to do something he would definitely regret. But at the moment, his stomach was telling him to eat something. So with an unsteady step, and an even shakier mind, he set off toward the kitchen.

A few hours later, Erica awoke in the infirmary, still feeling somewhat groggy from her ordeal. Looking around the room, she saw that no one was around. Since there was no one to stop her, she decided to try to move. She sat up carefully, making sure her arms would not buckle under her weight like before.

Now sitting, she propped her back against the soft pillow behind her. Erica wondered how long she'd been asleep, but decided it didn't matter. In the oppressive silence her mind drifted along several lines, from wondering about her arm's drastic metamorphoses to seeing Knives treating her illness.

Erica noted with wonder how much the psychotic plant had changed since her arrival. He rarely ever called her an abomination anymore, though spider wasn't much better, and hadn't touched her since their first encounter. Though she did regret the lack of physical contact. _Wait a moment, what am I thinking!!?_ she screamed at herself. _But then, his lips were inviting. _

_Noooo!!!!_ she wailed at her last thought, clutching her head as if to squeeze these new ideas out of her mind. Erica was wondering if she'd finally snapped. She couldn't possibly be interested in Knives, could she? There was no way, she said to herself, as she started counting off everything about him that annoyed her. He was moody, sarcastic, wanted to destroy mankind, had a cute smile.

"Ahhhhh!!!" she screamed aloud this time. "Why can't I think of anything else!!?"

Was it only just gratefulness she felt, or could there actually be love there? He had saved her life, after all. Her own knight in shining armor. The image of Knives being dressed in armor came to mind, making her laugh aloud.

Erica cut her laughter short as Vash suddenly entered the room, carrying a tray of food in his hands. Pussy followed close behind the gunman, hopping on the bed and quickly cuddling his injured care giver. She smiled and hugged the furry creature, giving Vash an equally grateful look.

"Thought you might be hungry" he said, returning her smile. Vash set the tray beside her bed, then moved a chair and sat down close to her. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better, thanks. Where's Knives?" Erica couldn't help but ask.

Vash smiled inwardly at her question, knowing why she was asking. "Haven't seen him for a while. You know, he was really worried about you."

"He was?" she asked, genuinely surprised. He had seemed a little tense when she'd awoken the first time, but thought he had merely become strained over caring for a human.

"Yeah. He wasn't sure what after effects you'd have from transforming your angel arm"

"My what!?"

"Your angel arm" Vash repeated, wishing Knives were here to explain this to her. "We can change parts of our body to create weapons or shields." He tried to think of examples to tell her, and could only think of two. With a sigh, he continued. "You know the destruction of July and Augusta?"

"Yeah" she said, nodding her head.

'Those incidents were caused by an angel arm similar to the one you tried to create." Vash ducked his head, shielding the tears that were gathering in his eyes from her gaze.

"Who's angel arm?" Erica asked cautiously, Vash's strange tone making her curious.

"Mine" Vash said quietly. He still hadn't come to terms with some of his past, and even speaking of July and Augusta were still painful.

"Oh" Erica said, dropping the subject. She saw that the memories of those times still caused him grief, and she didn't want to see the sad look on his face again. Her own thoughts turned to her adventure, and how easily she'd created such a dangerous weapon. She could have killed those people and everyone they cared about. She could have killed Knives.

Vash saw her growing distress and tried to force a smile upon his worried face. He felt responsible partially responsible for what had happened to Erica, since he was the one who had practically forced the two to go on the donut excursion. He had to comfort her somehow.

"It's alright" he said, patting her on the back in a weak attempt to calm the distressed girl.

"How is it alright?" Erica asked, meeting Vash's eyes and giving him an almost wild look of fear. "I could have killed everyone! Vash, what have I become?" she said, dropping her head into her hands and sobbing silently.

"Hey, I have a great idea!" Vash suddenly yelled, breaking the tense atmosphere in the room. "How about I get Knives to teach you how to control your powers? He knows more about our bodies than anyone, and you two could get to know each other better."

Erica lifted her head up slowly, thinking over Vash's proposal. She didn't want the same incident to happen again, and the psychotic plant did seem to know how to reverse the process of the angel arm. There didn't seem to be a downside, and she might be able to find the truth about why Knives hated humans so much.

"Alright" she said, putting as much confidence into the words as she could.

"Great!" Vash exclaimed. _Now to convince Knives..._


	18. Training

A/N: This chapter is stretching the boundaries of PG-13, but I may as well have fun with this story 8). The chapter's also longer than the last. And to Falon, thanks for the kind review and yes, I'm working on a Hellsing fic right now. Thanks everyone!!!

Training

"How the hell did you talk me into this Vash?" Knives growled under his breath, as he walked toward the arboretum.

The previous day, Knives had been cornered by his brother with the proposition to train Erica. The antisocial plant had very reluctantly agreed to the task, though the choice was out of necessity rather than want. Vash had slyly mentioned how her uncontrollable powers could destroy the ship, if left undisciplined. Now he was going to their first session, with his nerves slightly frayed in anticipation.

One hundred and fifty years of desensitizing, and she was breaking him down in a matter of weeks. Now he was going to have to spend possibly several hours with the female, and wasn't sure he'd be able to control these strange new emotions.

_Wow, he's really distracted_ Vash thought, as he silently followed his unstable half. _He should have sensed me by now, but he hasn't even touched my presence yet._ The blonde gunman was going to watch the preceding lesson, curious as to how the two would react around each other. Especially how he'd told them both how they felt for one another. _This could definitely be interesting_ he snickered to himself.

Reaching the arboretum doors and walking in, Knives saw the object of his confusion standing amongst the vegetation. And strangely, she looked just as nervous as he felt. _Maybe she's afraid_ he thought, trying to fool himself with his plant arrogance. She'd rarely shown fear toward him, and really had no reason to. He couldn't harm her because of the angel's wrath, and for some reason he didn't want to hurt her. In any way. Cursing under his breath at his thoughts, Knives moved toward the awaiting girl.

Erica absently looked up from a flower she'd been admiring and nearly shrieked when she saw the unstable plant standing next to her. _As if I wasn't tense enough, he goes and tries to scare the life out of me!_ she fumed. She gave Knives a scathing glare, before turning her back on him. Right now she just wanted to get the training over with, before her nerves break under the strain and she did something she'd really regret. Like kiss him.

Knives shrugged when Erica turned her back on him, unsure of why she was upset at his appearance. He didn't have time for her temper tantrums, not when the strange feeling in his chest was starting to return.

Sitting down on the grass, Knives placed his hand on the ground. He searched the area for a certain plant, wanting for some reason to impress the spider before him. Finally finding the right seed, he concentrated on bringing the life forward.

At the sound of the plant breaking the surface, Erica turned around and gasped. Near Knives hand a small sapling was growing, faster than she'd ever seen anything grow. She'd never seen something so miraculous, and the fact that Knives was doing the miracle was even more amazing. She settled down beside him and watched with childish curiosity as the plant grew into a beautiful red rose bush, with petals blooming over every inch of the branches.

When the growth stopped, Erica turned to look at Knives. "How did you do that?" she asked quietly, still entranced by the lively bush before her.

Knives didn't say a word, only putting his hand over hers. Sensing her shiver at his touch, his own body responded with a jolt of heat. Maybe there was some truth in what Vash had told him about Erica. Or maybe he was just fooling himself.

"Try to find a seed in the ground, then focus all your energy into the plant." His voice was steady, revealing none of the turbulent thoughts within his mind. Always the practiced indifference in his attitude. "Don't push the being's growth, merely try to coax it."

Erica nodded her head in understanding, trying to hide the blush that had appeared on her cheeks. Knives' body was so close, she could practically feel the heat radiating off him. The feeling was definitely distracting, and she had to put all her attention into listening to what he was telling her.

"Now, concentrate" Knives ordered. With his hand over hers, he tapped into the dormant energy in her body. For Erica to do so herself would be left for another lesson. Sifting through the power within her, the egotistic plant was impressed by how much she had stored. The plant angel had certainly given the girl all she had left.

"Feel the energy I'm pulling out of you" he commanded, careful not to draw out too much. She could have certainly destroyed the small town they were in, and several dozen surrounding iles, had her arm fully formed.

"Alright" she answered, trying to focus on the power she was feeling.

Knives stood up and took a couple of steps back, feeling her energy steadily build. As he watched Erica's concentrating face, the distracted plant suddenly heard a rumbling beneath him. __

_Shit_.

The blond was shot into the air, as a full-grown sycamore sprouted from the ground under him. Erica had pushed too much of her energy into the tiny sapling, causing a sudden growth spurt. And fate saw to it that the seedling had been nestled in the soil where Knives had stood.

The genocidal plant managed not to yell out as tree grew to its full height of 115 feet, but the look of terror on his face showed anyone nearby that he was terrified. Erica watched stunned as her 'teacher' was elevated several stories atop the large maple, and she wondered what he was going to do to her when he got down. Or _if_ he managed to descend.

Sitting atop his leafy perch, Knives had a spectacular view of the arboretum, which thankfully had a tall ceiling. Glancing tentatively below him in an attempt to find a way to escape, he saw movement from down below. Something, or someone, was hiding in a group of bushes near Erica.

_Crap! _Vash thought, noticing his brother's gaze fall upon his hiding spot. The blond gunman's spying backfired in his face, literally. One of the branches he had held came snapping back at him, slamming between his eyes. "Ouch" he mumbled, rubbing his bruised nose.

_"Vash" _Knives growled in his brother's mind, having noticed the fixed stare Vash had been giving Erica. _"Have you forgotten your spider so quickly?"_

_"Nooo" _Vash said slowly, looking up to face his brother. He was glad Knives hadn't realized his true intentions, and that he was able to control the laughter rising in him at the sight of mankind's would-be destroyer stuck in a tree. _"But you have to admit, she is cute. And you don't have a spider of your own yet."_

_"Vash" _Knives growled, his cheeks growing red. Though Vash didn't know whether the facial color was from embarrassment or anger. _"Get out."_

Getting the not so subtle hint that his presence was no longer wanted, the blonde gunman made a hasty retreat.

Erica turned at the sound of the doors opening, but saw no one come in. Mentally shrugging, she stared up at the tree, only to meet with a pair of striking blue eyes looking into hers. _How long has he been staring at me?_ she thought nervously.

Strangely, he didn't look away when their eyes met, and a smirk seemed to appear at the corner of his mouth. _What's he planning?_ she now wondered suspiciously. Whenever Knives smiled, that usually meant someone was in for pain. And being the only person in the vicinity made her a prime target.

"Um, Knives? How are you going to get down?" Erica asked hesitantly, trying to contain the sudden laughter threatening to break out. The sight of mankind's destroyer stuck in a tree, looking very much like a helpless kitten, was just too funny.

Knives had been pondering whether he should show off by simply jumping from one lower branch to another, or to return the tree to the seedling stage. But his smile and ideas were quickly pushed aside as he watched Erica finally succumb to the sight of his predicament, laughing hysterically and clutching her sides to stop the pain. Now he had the urge to accelerate the tree's aging and drop the overgrown bush on top of her head.

"Shut up" he growled, finally losing control as Erica's laughter refused to cease. She snapped out of her amused state immediately, his tone having the slight edge of insanity hidden in the depths. Knives placed his hand on a branch and slowly released the energy which had given the tree it's growth. He descended with the ever shrinking maple, finally reaching the ground a few moments later.

Erica stepped back from him. Though she didn't see a glint of anger in Knives' eyes, she didn't trust his sporadic temperament.

But Erica couldn't help but be reminded of the strip poker, with him standing tall before her. She could imagine the well-toned biceps underneath the shirt he wore, the evenly muscled arms she ached to have around her, the rounded ass waiting to be squeezed. The memories caused her to blush, but she took an uneasy step toward him.

Knives watched with some regret as she flinched from him, although he knew he should be furious with her. Her lack of control had nearly got him catapulted into the dome's glass ceiling. But his battling thoughts were quickly swept aside as she stepped toward him, a strange glint in her eyes.

"What are you looking at?" Knives asked, trying to sound angered. But he was sinking fast, with his emotions exploding within him. The way she was looking at him was distracting. Knives suddenly thought of a few moves to show her, though the training was of a rather different sort than what he first intended.

But Knives knew he couldn't have feelings for the spider, the mere thought was disgusting to him. But that didn't stop their faces from edging closer, or from him losing himself in her sky blues eyes. So like his own, and holding answers he desperately wanted to find.

Knives was now practically looming over Erica, wondering how her lips would feel against his. Surprisingly, she didn't flinch from his approach, merely watching him move closer. _Vash, you had better be right about her feelings or I will personally see that you don't ever have children_ he thought, as their mouths met.

Her lips were soft against his, softer than he imagined they could be. As her body pressed closer to his, he could feel her heat through the clothes. His own body felt on fire and he could feel his muscles tighten under the strain. Gripping her back, he gently pried her lips open with his tongue and explored her mouth. Finding a very willing companion within, their tongues twisted and turned with each other, battling for more contact.

Erica quickly realized the standing position they were in was uncomfortable for her, considering their height difference. So wrapping her arms behind his back, she gently sat down in the grass with Knives following willingly, never breaking the kiss.

Suddenly Erica leant backward, causing Knives to land on top of her. The more intimate position was definitely more pleasing for both of them, as their clothed bodies rubbed against each other.

_How long can a kiss last?_ Erica thought breathlessly. She pushed him away slightly to get some air, and heard an immediate growl of anger. Her lips were almost ruthlessly pressed back to his, having fortunately gotten more air in her lungs to continue.

_I should stop this _Knives told himself. _I should be hating this contact!_ But a certain part of his body was saying differently, as the bulge in his pants slid over Erica's hips.

Knives straightened up suddenly, causing Erica to emit her own sound of protest from the abrupt pause. Before she could ask him what was wrong, the plant was up and out the door, leaving a very confused and disappointed girl behind him.


	19. Found

A/N: (sigh) Okay, I decided to change the chapter. Nothing too explicit, so the PG-13 rating can stay for the rest. Thanks to the readers and reviewers!

Found

Knives had remained physically uncomfortable for the rest of the day, and what was worse, he didn't know why. All searches in the computer databases for the reason were disturbing to his unemotional mind. Physical reaction for mating. The thought of him with anyone was disturbing, but with a spider!?

_But she isn't a spider_ his mind reminded him. That thought put less weight on his moral discrepancies, but what was he to do with this new problem? To say that he was uncomfortable around her now would be an understatement. Knives had never before felt lust or the type of love he was experiencing now. The emotions were confusing to him, but somehow enjoyable.

Still, for the past few days Knives had avoided Erica whenever he could, even foregoing meals. He would make the excuse that he was researching or working on the computer system. Neither of which Vash nor the spider seemed to believe.

Erica was just fine with the way he was acting toward her. When she'd seen Knives rush out, her first instinct had been to march after him and physically injure him to an inch of his plant life. But she hadn't trusted to her feelings at that moment, and had opted to ignore him.

And Vash was caught in the middle of the very confused and frustrated couple. He needed to think of a plan, and fast, or they would be at this game for the rest of their long lives. An idea suddenly came to his mind as he munched on his fiftieth donut of the day, and he merely needed to piece together the details.

Sitting at his computer a week after the incident, Knives absently ran the scheduled maintenance check on the ship. Knives wanted to find out what he felt for the spider, knew he had to before he went insane with the emotions. But how to get his idiot brother out of the way to find out long enough to discover the truth? But then, Vash was doing everything in his power to get them alone. The trip to town, the training exercise, and probably the incident in the cargo room. His mind was still preoccupied with how to remove Vash from the ship without being too obvious or forceful, when suddenly the door opened behind him. The problem of his thoughts walked through into the room, and Knives knew Vash was serious about something. The usual idiotic grin was nowhere to be seen, and Vash wasn't tripping over everything and causing his general chaos.

"Knives, we need to talk" he said, leaning against the computer monitor in front of Knives. Vash was even interrupting his work to speak with him.

"There's nothing to talk about" Knives grumbled, getting up from his chair and pacing the room. "Nothing happened" he lied, hoping to throw the blonde gunman off the trail.

"So you did almost do it" he commented casually, as if they were talking about the weather. Vash knew Knives was still uneasy about his body's reaction, so thought it best to not unbalance him more by teasing him. His goofy acting would also get in the way right now, since there was quite a lot at stake here. Including the possible future happiness of his brother.

Knives nodded his head guiltily, ashamed that Vash knew of his actions. Now he would never hear the end of it, especially with his brother's big mouth traveling all over Gunsmoke.

"You were projecting rather well" Vash continued, staring him straight in the eye. "I had a hard time trying not to spy on your activities. You should be more careful next time, or our sisters will find out."

Knives couldn't believe what he was hearing. Vash, the biggest crybaby and womanizer in all of Gunsmoke, was giving him a lecture on controlling his emotions. And what did he mean by 'next time'?!

Vash watched his brother's face turn from disbelief to outright embarrassment at his comments. The donut crazed plant knew more than he let on, and right now he saw his brother put into a position he'd never thought he'd see him in. Being physically and emotionally attracted to a female who only a few weeks ago had been part of the species he was intent on killing. Fate was certainly playing the irony rather strongly for this chance coupling. _Well, I may as well help the old lady out. _

"Well, anyway, I came here to tell you I'm off to town" he said, suddenly walking toward the door. His usual cheeriness had returned, and the famous $$60 billion grin had appeared. "I'm gonna be gone for the night. Have to write to Meryl, get a new stock of donuts, and party at the bar." He waved to Knives, then abruptly walked out the door.

Staring speechless at the now closed door, Knives suddenly realized what Vash was doing. His idiotic brother was giving him time alone with her. A lot of time. But what to do with it?

Later in the day found Erica and Knives walking through the ship together, neither saying a word. The deranged plant had caught the girl in the kitchen, feeding Pussy his meal. He'd rather abruptly grabbed her arm and marched her out of the room, muttering something about more training.

Erica had gone along willingly enough, though Knives hadn't explained his actions any further. Looking around, she suddenly realized that the hall was familiar. They were in the 'restricted' area, as Knives had described the portion of the ship on her tour with him. Coming to a pair of doors, the plant opened them and stepped in. She followed, wondering why they were here and what exactly he wanted. Looking around, she was surprise to find where they were. The two of them were in the quarters she'd previously noticed, when she'd taken her own personal tour of the ship. The ones she had wished were hers.

"My room" was all Knives said, his face turned away from hers.

Erica blushed at the answer, considering her earlier thoughts. Unless Knives gave them to her, there was now only one way to have these rooms as hers. And it involved two people and one bed. But the idea did appeal to her.

_Shut up!!_ she yelled to herself, suddenly remembering that Knives had heard her thoughts before. But could he hear them all the time?

"Um, can you hear all my thoughts?" she asked suddenly. _Great, that won't make him suspicious, and maybe curious._

"I choose not to" he answered calmly, though inwardly he wondered why she was now asking such a question. What would her thoughts tell him? "I am able to block out all but the loudest thoughts. I got tired of hearing Vash's thoughts on women and donuts."

"Why are we here?" Erica asked, swiftly changing the subject.

"To give you a lesson on how to bring forth your powers. My room is the most comfortable space in the ship, and one needs to focus everything on merely calling the energy."

"Is that why Vash can't use his powers very well?" she asked curiously.

"Mostly" he said, giving her a small smile. He had to agree with her assumption, since his brother was very easily distracted. Though Vash's refusal to embrace his plant side was another large part of the stunted development. "Which is a good thing, because his emotional outbursts would have destroyed the planet by now."

Erica snickered at the joke, then realized that Knives had just _made_ a joke. She scrutinized his face, wondering where the turn had come from and why. The girl didn't quite trust his intentions, ever since the incident in the arboretum. But then, her mind was definitely not thinking clean thoughts at the moment.

"Exactly where are we going to practice in here?"

"On the bed, unless you'd rather we sit on the floor" Knives said, his face turned away from her.

Looking around the room, Erica noticed there wasn't anywhere else for them to sit. _Strange _she thought, _even my room has a table and chairs._ _And how strangely convenient._ Mentally shrugging and slapping herself for the last comment, she brushed the thoughts aside.

Erica looked to the piece of furniture mentioned and noticed with some curiosity that it had no headboard, the pillows merely resting against the wall. Nervously she walked over to the bed and tentatively sat down. Just as she had surmised on her first look, the bed was more comfortable than her own. But she jumped when she felt the bed sink, as Knives settled down beside her. _Very_ close beside her. As in their bodies were touching and she could practically feel his breath on her neck.

Erica shifted her body farther away, and was shocked when Knives followed her. She could feel her body starting to react to his intimacy, making her wish she was somewhere else. So deep in her thoughts, the girl nearly shrieked when she felt the plant's hands occupying her own.

"You can't pull the power from yourself alone yet. But I'll show you how" he almost whispered, sending a shiver down Erica's spine. She nodded her head numbly, trying not to shake from...what? Excitement? Fear? She wasn't sure, but her body was quite willing to find out.

Knives' mouth turned up in a smirk as he watched Erica's face become bright red. Closing his eyes, he concentrated at the task at hand. Feeling his way through her mind, he found the proverbial door to her untapped strength. Releasing her energy would be easy, but getting her to sustain the force would be the difficult part. He started opening her mind's door, careful not to let too much out at once.

Erica watched Knives' face as he closed his eyes, wondering what she was supposed to be doing to help. Suddenly, she saw a glow and looked down at the source, her eyes widening as their hands began to emit a faint light. Warmth spread up her arms, eventually engulfing her body in a comforting embrace.

"Now hold it" Knives commanded, guiding her mind with his. As he felt her mimic his actions, he slowly took his hands off hers. The light between them wavered when the connection was severed, but only slightly.

Erica felt a little regret when he let go of her hands, causing a dip in the amount of energy she was releasing. Shutting her eyes, she quickly regained control of the power. After a few minutes of retaining the level, she began to wonder how long she was going to have to do this. Suddenly Erica's eyes shot open. She distinctly felt a pair of hands wander across her stomach, then sliding down behind to catch her buttocks. She jerked her head up and looked into the very possessive eyes of Millions Knives. _What in the hell is he doing?!_ she screamed in her mind, flinching away from his touch.

Knives had been watching Erica's concentrating face, her eyes closed tight in the effort. Almost against his will, he tentatively reached out. Brushing his hand across her flat stomach, he found himself exploring farther down. He was almost disgusted with himself, but the feel of her curves was definitely getting a pleasurable response from his body. Though when Erica jerked away, he wondered if she was enjoying his 'pettings'. But he needed to find out why he felt this way about the girl before him, and what she felt about him. Whether the attraction was one of a physical or emotional need.

Erica looked openly shocked at Knives' sudden outburst of affection, with her mind frantically trying to figure out why he'd done such actions. But as she remembered the look in his eyes, she realized his intentions weren't of an evil nature. And she definitely wanted to feel more of his touches, possibly carry on what they'd started a week before. Taking a deep breath, Erica decided to make her own move. _Hopefully I won't regret this _she thought nervously. Suddenly leaning over the small distance between them, she caught Knives' mouth with her own.

Knives was more than a little surprised when Erica's soft lips were brought against his, catching his mouth open. A very willing tongue took the opportunity to slide into his mouth, shyly playing with his own. He obliged with an answering groan, grabbing the girl's hips and closing the distance between them to nothing. After a few moments, their mouths finally parted, each gasping at their close embrace. Erica moved farther down the bed, laying herself out before him. And Knives willingly followed...

Some time later found Erica resting on Knives naked chest, each catching their breaths after their 'training session.' Neither could believe what had happened, but the truth before them was obvious.

"Don't tell Vash" Knives said, hugging her against him.

"I won't" she answered softly, tracing circles along the contours of his chest. Her heart was singing in gladness, but her mind couldn't believe what she'd found. She'd uncovered an emotion in the genocidal plant that she'd never expected to find. Love. She couldn't believe she was in love with the most destructive creature on the planet.


	20. Project

A/N: Not the best chapter I've written, but I'm having trouble with my computer. Thanks everyone!!!

Project

The encounter with Erica had taken placea few days earlier, andhe'd seen little of her since the incident. Only at meal times and the occasional talking in the arboretum. Vash had returned the next day as promised, a very knowing grin plastered on his face as he'd looked from Erica to Knives. The insane plant had nearly strangled him then and there, but really had no idea if his twin knew what they'd done in his absence. Nor did he care much.

Knives now sat at his computer, reading the daily scans for the systems. Work before pleasure was still his rule, and he followed the strict routine of his life. After scanning the more recent files saved upon the machine, he decided to remove the older ones. They were simply taking up too much space for his orderly nature to handle. A file caught his attention, hidden in the deepest part of the registry. Project Eve?

The name didn't sound familiar from the files he'd read aboard the SEEDS ship, nor had Rem made any mentionof such activities.

He clicked on the file icon, curious about the contents.

**Scientists' Report: After careful analysis of the SEEDS project, many of our colleagues have concluded that the likelihood for finding a planet with living conditions parallel to Earth's to be nonexistent. Therefore, we have undertaken the Project Eve experiment, balancing the limited number of planets for settlement.**

**Project Eve: The attempt to create a plant angel capable of transferring power to other life forms, primarily humans. The ultimate goal of the project is to create a life form with a longer life span and more adaptability to harsh environments. Death of plant likely in transfer.**

Knives stared at the screen before him in shock. The last phrase was almost an afterthought, nothing more than the byproduct of an experiment. He continued to read the logs made by the scientists.

**Log 1: After several failed attempts at producing a power transfer angel, or what we have named a Mother Plant, geneticists have succeeded. Experiments on humans will begin immediately**. **Will also begin mass production of Mother Plants.**

_Those filthy creatures were even willing to experiment on their own kind!? _he thought, his anger rising.

**Log 2: First experiment failed after both plant and test subject were killed in power transfer. One possibility has already been presented. The test subject may be unable to receive power because of genetic incompatibility. Will run more tests on future subjects to verify hypothesis.**

The last entry greatly interested Knives.

**Log 3: Project Eve has been suspended, pending the greater importance with Project Gemini. Remaining Mother Plants have been sent to separate ships to serve as generators.**

Following the last entry was a list of the ships the plants had been sent to. Knives recognized that none of the ships had survived the Great Fall. But apparently one had, with Erica as living proof of that fact. if the girl had been infused with plant energy, and the angel had died in the process. The fact that the plant had willingly given her energy mattered little to him. She was a plant, a superior being with a greater right to live than those pathetic spiders.

Those filthy humans had wanted to adapt to their new planet by sacrificing his kind!!! And the proof was before him, no mistaking any of the information. He felt betrayed once again, and all of his anger was now focused on the one spider in the ship. The attraction had obviously only been one of a physical nature, nothing more.

Erica was coming from the plant room, having been talking to the angels, telling them about her training. Though not about what she and Knives had done, for obvious reasons. Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned around. The smile on her face slipped off, as she watched Knives approach her. Erica knew immediately that something was wrong with him. The insane glint in his eyes had returned and his whole body was tense with anger.

"Knives, what's wrong?" she asked cautiously. Erica nearly screamed when his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist in a painfully tight hold.

"Filthy human, destroying my kind for your own gains!" he screamed at her. "You made the plant angel sacrifice herself for her power. Pathetic spiders, not even realizing your cruelty" he hissed.

"You think I don't know the cruelties of humans?! I was a slave for a whole year, bought and sold like a cow! Treated like nothing more than a piece of property!" Her voice had become high pitched, as Erica's emotions overtook her reason. Tears came to her eyes when she realized the horrible truth. "You haven't changed at all!! You're still the same spoiled brat who can't-"

Her words were cut off as Knives' hand came up and connected with her cheek, knocking her to the ground.

The tears slid down Erica's cheeks, as one of her hands slowly reached up to touch her now bruising cheek, the same cheek he'd kissed only days before. He hadn't struck her then.

"You can't handle losing control!" she yelled, finishing her last sentence.

Knives grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against the wall, raising her off her feet. Erica's head knocked against the hard surface, causing her to scream out in pain. She writhed in his grasp, trying to free herself. But her useless struggling only made the plant angrier, as he pushed her harder against the wall.

"Shut up you filthy spider!!" Knives screamed, tightening his grip on her wind pipe. "Don't pretend you know me!!"

Erica's eyes lost focus, as her breathing was cut off by his hand. She felt herself losing consciousness, as the room spun around her.

Knives was suddenly slammed back into the opposite wall. Erica slumped to the floor, coughing as blessed air returned to her lungs. A shadow fell across the psychotic plant on the ground.

"Still using the same logic, Knives?!" Vash asked angrily, towering over his brother. "They're dead! Everyone who's to blame is dead! Why don't you understand that!?"

Knives watched his brother's anger in shock. He had never seen him so furious, But he wouldn't let him get the advantage, and he was too angered at the interruption to care. The insane plant charged at Vash, but was suddenly thrown back against the wall. He'd underestimated his brother's powers once more, as he felt the effects of the mind blast slipping off his body. The blond gunman had used telekinesis to stop his assault.

With his brother too stunned to move, Vash looked around the room, shaking his head sadly.

Erica was gone.

_I have to get away_ Erica told herself, as she ran to her bedroom. Tears landed silently on her clothes, as she packed them away in her bag. _He doesn't care about me, he never did. Sorry Vash, but I just can't stay here anymore._

Silently sprinting through the halls, Erica gathered as many food supplies as she could. She didn't know how long the journey would take on foot, but she needed to get as far away from here as possible.


	21. Runaway

A/N: Almost done with this story, my first completed Hope everyone enjoys the chapter!!!

Runaway

Knives sat in his room, for once missing his daily routine. He had neither eaten nor slept since the day before, when he'd nearly killed Erica. The memory kept replaying in his head, and he was ashamed at himself for losing control of his emotions.

There was suddenly a knock on his door. Using his senses, he felt his brother on the other side, waiting impatiently for permission to enter.

"Come in" Knives said gruffly, watching the doors open.

Vash walked into the room, holding Pussy in his arms. His face was etched with worry and Knives briefly wondered why, before going back to his pondering.

"Knives, Pussy hasn't been fed and I can't find Erica anywhere" Vash said bluntly. There was no time for formalities. The blond set Pussy down, as he watched as his brother's eyes widen in surprise.

"What?!" Knives yelled, his head snapping upward. He rose from his chair and strode over to his brother, gripping the gunman's shoulders painfully. "What do you mean you can't find her?" There was a quiver in his voice, one he didn't want to admit to himself.

"She's gone" Vash said simply, wincing as Knives' grip grew worse.

"I don't believe it" the insane plant answered, trying to calm his voice. But inwardly, he was feeling the slight edge of worry in his stomach. His mind was also berating himself for his stupidity the few days before.

Knives scoured the ship himself, not wanting to believe what Vash had told him. But she was gone. And it was all his fault. He'd yelled at her, blamed her for all the faults of her entire race.

She'd runaway with as much provisions as she could carry in her bag.

"We must find her, or the angels may destroy the ship" Knives stated, going for the keys to the vehicle.

Vash suspected Knives might have another reason for finding Erica, but chose not to speak his thoughts. They needed to find the girl, not have a discussion about emotions. And the gunman never thought he'd get such a reaction out of the unemotional killer, but the proof was right in front of him. Knives was panicking over Erica's disappearance.

A few hours later found the brothers in Knives' car, searching the impossibly large desert. They'd gone in the most likely direction Erica would have taken, toward the town she'd been to with Knives. There were no other leads they could have followed, since all traces of her direction had been wiped away by the wind and sand.

Vash hung on as they crested another dune, gripping the dashboard with both hands. Knives was driving at a breakneck speed, trying to catch up to Erica as quickly as possible. But she'd gotten quite a start on them, and her plant body was capable of long travel.

Suddenly Knives stopped the car with a screeching halt, peering over to his left. Vash's eyes followed, then grew wide with hope. Not more than a few hundred yarz off, there lay a figure in the sand. The driving plant turned the wheel and raced over to the spot, recognizing Erica's clothing as they drew closer.

Reaching the girl, both plants jumped out of the vehicle and quickly strode toward Erica. Knives reached her first, catching her almost possessively up in his arms. He looked over her prone form carefully, his face growing darker with worry.

The heat had taken its toll on her body. Her breathing was irregular and her body was dry from lack of water. She was also shivering from overexposure the night before, when the temperature had dropped well below freezing. Even with the provisions she'd brought with her, there was nothing to protect her from the elements.

Knives could feel something warm slide down his face, as he gazed down at her ravaged features. He watched in amazement as a single tear fell from his cheek, splashing Erica's ashen colored skin. Clutching her closer, he could barely feel her weak pulse, struggling with every shallow breath she took.

"Why did you leave?" he whispered, not expecting her to hear him. He was surprised when she slowly opened her eyes to look at him.

"You..didn't care" she coughed out. Though her words were cold, she tried to give him a comforting smile. Maybe in forgiveness. Then her eyes shut, as her body violently convulsed in Knives' arms.

Lifting her gently but quickly, Knives walked toward the vehicle. Vash had ran back to the car while his brother had checked Erica's condition, preparing a place for the ailing occupant. Now a soft blanket lay across the back seat, upon which the girl was laid down.

Climbing into their own seats, Knives turned the vehicle around and they raced back to the ship. But Erica's condition was growing worse, as her breathing grew into gasps and her body was tensing from the shocks. Knives finally turned to his brother, an almost pleading look in his eyes.

"Vash, I know you can use your plant energy. Try to stabilize Erica until we get her to the ship."

Vash nodded his head, then climbed into the backseat. He knew his brother would have gladly taken this job, but Knives was the only person who knew the exact location of the ship. Focusing his energy into Erica's body, he concentrated on regulating her breathing and heartbeat.

Reaching the ship in record time, Knives jumped out of his seat and tore open the car's back door. Gently but quickly lifting Erica out, he sprinted toward the engine room. Reaching the entrance he slowed down his pace, barely slipping through the opening mechanical doors.

Knives went for the center bulb, knowing she would have the most strength to revive Erica. He himself placed her into the bulb, pushing her body through the glass. Though the center angel did not say a word, he could hear the chatter of his other sisters as they tried questioning him. Vash was trying his best to calm them down, with little success.

The center angel quickly took Erica's now limp body, pulling back into the bulb. Knives slumped against the glass, watching as they disappeared. One question went through his mind, as Erica was lost to his sight.

_Was I too late?_

Several hours later found Knives sitting down near the bulb, his face a mask of worry. He was absently petting Pussy, who lay in his arms. The two seemed to have come to a silent peace agreement, when the one they cared about was in such a critical state. Vash was leaning against the entrance arch, patiently waiting and hoping.

Suddenly the two brothers both felt the center plant's presence, and looked into the bulb. They watched silently as the angel lowered into the main portion of the glass, Erica in her arms.

Knives jumped to his feet, searching the angel's face for what he feared. But the worried plant saw no emotion of sadness or loss. Rather, there was a hidden joy in the smile the plant angel gave him, as her eyes met his.

_"Is she alright?" _Knives asked, as Erica was set down on the glass. Her body phased through on its own, and he knelt beside her.

_"They will be fine. Now only rest is needed to heal the remaining physical damage."_

_"What do you mean?" _Knives asked, confused by her wording. Was Erica mentally scarred for the rest of her long life? Did she still hold a grudge against him and what he'd done to her? The plant couldn't blame her if she did. But what did the angel mean by 'they'?

_"Erica is pregnant" _the plant angel said, smiling at the father. Who promptly collapsed on the ground in a heap.


	22. Conclusion

A/N: The last chapter (sniffle). To Ajd262, I'm writing a VxM fic called 'Sins of the Soul', with two chapters up in Fanfiction. Anyway, hope everyone likes it!!!

Conclusion

Erica awoke to bright lights and a chilly draft. Throwing the blanket over herself, her eyes suddenly went wide. She sat up, staring around wildly at her surroundings. Then the confused girl realized she was in Knives' bedroom, and in his bed.

Erica blushed at the memories, wondering how she'd gotten here. Her recollection of the past two days was hazy, and only a few fragments kept showing themselves. She remembered Knives holding her against him, with a worried expression on his face and she'd said something to him. Then he was lifting her out of the backseat of the car and running somewhere, his heart beating loudly in her ear. One of her final memories was of the plant angel, cradling her in her arms.

But one memory stood out among the rest. While in the bulb recuperating, the plant angel had told her she was with child. And the plant angel would never lie to her.

Erica settled her hand on her stomach, focusing her energy. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to feel anything, but then a tingle ran through her fingers. She felt something there...

Erica's eyes shot open, as she found the source of what she felt. Two. She felt two energies within her. She was indeed pregnant, the future mother of a pair of twins. And they felt like boys, too. Her smile widened, as she thought about

But then Erica's smile turned to a frown. How would Knives react to this news? There was no doubt that he was the father, she wasn't sure how she was going to explain this to him. He wasn't exactly the most caring of people or plant, and the idea of him being a father sounded ridiculous even to her.

That's when Erica heard the doors to the apartment slide open, and she turned her head toward the entrance. There stood Knives, slightly shocked at seeing her awake His eyes flitted between hers and her stomach, and Erica realized he already knew about her pregnancy.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, breaking the uneasy silence. Knives walked over to the bed, sitting down on a chair placed beside her. His eyes stopped their roaming, finally settling on her own with a penetrating gaze.

"Fine" Erica answered, shifting uncomfortably under his stare. Was he going to start yelling at her again? Would he try to hurt her or the children?

"You know you're pregnant, don't you?" he asked. His eyes drilled into hers, as if searching for something important.

Erica nodded her head silently, lowering her eyes from his gaze. "What are you going to do with me?" she asked, tears sliding down her face. _Why did I have to fall in love with such a cruel man? _she thought sadly.

Suddenly standing up, Knives settled a finger under her chin, lifting her head up. Looking into his eyes once more, Erica was shocked to see a swirling of emotions. Regret, sadness, and even...joy. Leaning over the bed, he kissed her full on the lips.

Erica, surprised by the affectionate outburst, sat in the bed stiffly for a few seconds. Then she returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. When they finally broke apart, she happily hugged herself against his chest. Knives settled himself on the bed beside her, holding her. No words were needed.

"What are we going to do when the two boys come?" Erica asked quietly, snuggling closer. But when she felt him tense with her words, the girl looked into Knives' face. She nearly laughed at the expression.

Knives' eyes were wide in shock, his mouth open in surprise. Erica smiled and tilted her head, liking how cute he looked when caught off guard.

"Two?" he asked, finally shutting his mouth. The angel hadn't specified how many children Erica was going to have. "There's two of them? And boys?"

"Yes" Erica responded, laughing at his predicament. He was not ready to be the father of two very active plants, and it was going to be so much fun watching him learn to cope.

Learning about the future arrival of _two_ boys, Vash was ecstatic at the idea of being a double uncle. After he'd gotten over the initial shock. Knives wished he hadn't gotten over the shock, because for the next few days all he heard from his brother's mouth was "way to go bro!" and "you finally did it!" The homicidal tendencies definitely threatened to break out, but thankfully he had other problems.

Erica was going to be a problem for the next couple of months. Knives had never dealt with the mood swings of a female plant before, and she was going to take _everything_ out on him. Vash planned to conveniently disappear to his own little human.

But Vash had a solution to his brother's problem. A few days after the announcement, the blond gunman invited his brother and future sister-in-law to visit Meryl and Millie. At first, Knives refused to go, still disgusted at the idea of being around humans. But Vash cunningly pointed out that the insurance girls would gladly help take care of Erica. Only then did the stressed plant give in.

Packing for their long trip and arriving at the Thompson home a few days later, a surprise was waiting for them. Wolfwood had returned during Vash's absence, appearing one day on Millie's family's porch. The two insurance girls had found him there one morning, covered in dirt and smoking a cigarette. He'd been muttering something about a spiky-headed idiot and premature burial, when Millie had bowled him over with a bone-crushing hug.

Vash had also solved his problem of Meryl's aging, the only barrier from marrying her. Using the knowledge Knives had found about Plant energy transfer, he transferred half of his life to his future wife. They would be able to live with each other for the rest of both their lives.

But for now, the whole group was together for the first, and probably not last, time. Millie and Meryl had eagerly made Erica's acquaintance, both insurance girls surprised by Knives' change in demeanor. And the subject of children arose, along with the stunning revelation of him being a future father.

"Twins?" Meryl said, talking to Erica. "I hope they don't turn out to be as big a troublemakers as those others two" she commented, looking over at the brothers. One of whom was currently being yelled at by an angry priest, and the other trying to look disinterested with life itself, though the small smirk on his face said otherwise.

But Knives heard Meryl's comment, and he turned his head slightly. He smiled knowingly, wondering. The similarity between generations wasn't overlooked by the father, whose mind wandered to the plant angel who had given Erica the gift of a plant's life. Maybe she had planned this all along...

After all, he'd found his Eden, and his Eve.


End file.
